Need quick advice! First time letting broody hen hatch eggs...first egg just hatched and very bloody-headed chicken laying on it's back (pic inside)

[plumpybum]

Not sure what to do here. I noticed the first egg hatched an hour ago and she was sitting on the baby and I heard it chirp a couple of times. I checked on her 20 min later and she's not sitting on it and it's laying on it's back, barely breathing, with a bloody head like this. Anything I can do to help? This seems abnormal. I dont know if she is trying to clean it up or is discarding it, but the hen has some blood on her beak as well.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Anything I can do to help? This seems abnormal.

That's from the hen attacking it.. not from hatching. And it's a fair amount of blood loss for such a little one.

Better remove it to a brooder if there's any hope.. she isn't even keeping it warm. See if it starts to move once it's warmed up again.

Question.. was she just helping pick off the shell as some have done and taken it too far.. Seems unlikely too me.

 

[plumpybum]

That's from the hen attacking it.. not from hatching. And it's a fair amount of blood loss for such a little one.

Better remove it to a brooder if there's any hope.. she isn't even keeping it warm. See if it starts to move once it's warmed up again.

Question.. was she just helping pick off the shell as some have done and taken it too far.. Seems unlikely too me.

Well that first chick is dead. It had no fur at all from the neck up. I dont know if she did that or if it was born deformed? Will they discard an unviable chick?

There are 2 more in the process of hatching under her now. Not sure whether I should leave them with her or take them away and put them in a brooder. I really wanted her to raise them though...

 

[FunClucks]

I'd be worried about the rest of the hatchlings. Best to remove them to a brooder as soon as they hatch, although you could wait and see what she does to the next chick...

 

[FunClucks]

Sometimes they'll kill a chick that isn't right. Other times they'll kill some or all for no apparent reason. Safest path IMO is a brooder, but you can wait and see if it happens again...

 

[_-Captain BRM-_]

I would move any pipping egg to a brooder ASAP.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Well that first chick is dead. It had no fur at all from the neck up. I dont know if she did that or if it was born deformed? Will they discard an unviable chick?

There are 2 more in the process of hatching under her now. Not sure whether I should leave them with her or take them away and put them in a brooder. I really wanted her to raise them though...

Sorry for your experience.

Sometimes they do that just because they're inexperienced.. it wasn't deformed.. SHE DID THAT. What is her age?

Too often it's blamed on "something they knew" or sensed about the chick not being viable.. I disagree in a majority of the cases! Is today the approximate correct day for hatching?

I personally would have a hard time letting the others face the same fate. I would either make her nest VERY dark for the remainder of hatching, or remove them and hatch them then TRY tucking them under her early in the night so she can feel and hear them and make the connection.. then be out to observe her behavior at dawn and intervene if needed. There should be NO need because she should have already heard and felt that one moving.. but just to give her the benefit of the doubt. Or even move her nest in where I can supervise.

One question.. is she alone or were there other flock members that might have assaulted the chick which she failed then to protect?

Unfortunately, broody hens are not the set it and forget it fun time so many folks make it out to be. Sometimes nature is brutal. Other times though of course it can be beautiful..

I hope she will come around quickly and realize her reward/payoff and be the doting mum she's worked so hard to become!

 

[plumpybum]

Thanks so much for the feedback. We took the remaining 2 eggs and put them in a brood box under a light with a damp cloth. I can hear them both chirping from inside the egg (is that pipping?) Both eggs are slightly cracked and flaking off a bit.

I guess we will decide today whether to try giving the chicks back to her or just keeping them under the light.

The hen is a Sebright and she is just over 1 year. We got her from tractor supply so she was not raised by her own mother, but has been very broody all spring/summer so we thought we would indulge her and let her try to hatch a few eggs. These hatched right on time, today is day 21.

She is a tiny bantam so I sectioned off the back part of the coop with fencing and left enough space for her to get in and out however some of the other smaller regular sized pullets have been able to get in and out...not sure if it was one of those or not...but she did have blood on her beak.