I have a broody that has been sitting for three weeks. Yesterday the eggs started hatching and by this morning I had 7 new chicks. I was checking to make sure everything was OK and pondering how to move her and chicks to a bigger nest box. The nest box is rather small, just for laying. I smelled a terrible odor from her box and figured that with the egg remains and the possibility of failed hatches or broken eggs I needed to get the mess cleaned up before maggots and other nasty things got a foothold.
I put together a larger box for her and chicks and then took her out of the nest box and moved her and chicks. I found 5 unhatched eggs. I thought they were all failed and thought I would try candling. Took them into the house and while trying unsuccessfully to candle the eggs I heard some peeping and my wife noticed that one of the eggs had pipping. Great, I just killed a chick I thought.
I took the eggs back to the nest box and tried to get the hen back on them but by now she had decided it was time to leave the nest with her chicks and teach them how to eat.
I now have the egg in the house and have been trying to nurse the poor thing without an incubator. We did try to remove some of the shell in a circle around the egg but the chick isn't doing much. It's been a good 8 hours and we have tried to keep the membrane moist but it is still very tough. we also noticed that there are two membranes, one attached to the shell and one close to the chick.
The impromptu incubator/booder has a heat source and we're trying to keep the temperature at 95. We have wet towels wrapped around the egg with a space for air.
Any suggestions besides let nature take its course?
I put together a larger box for her and chicks and then took her out of the nest box and moved her and chicks. I found 5 unhatched eggs. I thought they were all failed and thought I would try candling. Took them into the house and while trying unsuccessfully to candle the eggs I heard some peeping and my wife noticed that one of the eggs had pipping. Great, I just killed a chick I thought.
I took the eggs back to the nest box and tried to get the hen back on them but by now she had decided it was time to leave the nest with her chicks and teach them how to eat.
I now have the egg in the house and have been trying to nurse the poor thing without an incubator. We did try to remove some of the shell in a circle around the egg but the chick isn't doing much. It's been a good 8 hours and we have tried to keep the membrane moist but it is still very tough. we also noticed that there are two membranes, one attached to the shell and one close to the chick.
The impromptu incubator/booder has a heat source and we're trying to keep the temperature at 95. We have wet towels wrapped around the egg with a space for air.
Any suggestions besides let nature take its course?
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I think the wet towels might be a bit much as far as humidity - is the membrane dry? Do you see any blood?
