Newly Hatching

[beautihens]

Hey guys! I'm am currently a new member of BYC. I have 3 chickens so far. 2 hens and a roo. The hens names are Millie and Curly. My sweet roosters name is Omlet. My smallest hen, Millie has a batch of 13 and she really doesn't sit on them. I check on the eggs almost everyday and they fell cold. Omlet also has to force her to sit on them. And there is a hole in the middle of the 13. Like she sleeps in the middle of all of them!!!!!!! I don't know if she is even laying on them. Is she even broody? Do we need to incubate them? Or is there a method to the madness...

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.

She sounds like she is not a independent broody. So either incubate the eggs or wait for her to lay some more since they may have died with all the cold.

Here are a few links to check out too
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/guide-to-letting-broody-hens-hatch-and-raise-chicks
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/broody-hens
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-101
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-and-raising-chicks

Best of luck and welcome to our flock!

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Hi

Glad you could join the flock! X2 from what you have described no she isn't broody. If she were she would constantly sit on the clutch of eggs. She would only briefly come away from the eggs to eat poop and drink maybe once per day.
If you wish to incubate eggs I would start with fresh ones and not these in the nest already. You would have better results from fresh ones upto a week after being laid.

Wishing you the very best of luck and hope you enjoy BYC. If you have any questions on incubating here is the forum section on incubating and hatching https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/5/incubating-amp-hatching-eggs

 

[drumstick diva]

Sounds like her heart isn't into being a broody. Nice that Omelet tries but, there is only so much a rooster can do. You might try getting breeds that are known for going broody often and being good moms like Silkies or cochins. Broodies generally get fiercely protective of their eggs, and often have to be forced to leave the nest for short periods to eat, drink & poo.

 

[N F C]

Welcome to BYC! Nice to have you join us.

 

[ChickyChickens]

Welcome to BYC!!! There are loads of members on here…so if you have ANY questions…just ASK!!!

Hope you have loads of fun and all your answers answered here on BYC the BEST CHICKEN KEEPING FORUM on EARTH!!

 

[beautihens]

Thanks guys!!! That really helped a lot. Any advise for letting new chickens meet since I'm getting more in the spring?

 

[beautihens]

Or chicks?

 

[N F C]

If you do a search on integrating new chicks, you'll find a lot of information (the search box is under the BYC logo on the top left of your screen).

The following is a bit of info from the Learning Center:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/raising-your-baby-chicks

Good luck!

 

[sunflour]

Glad you joined us. Good luck on your plans to expand the flock.