Ok, now what--Broody won't LEAVE nest...

[IggiMom]

I have at least two little Serama babies, certainly was hoping for more, but guess I won't complain. Big Momma has really given it all she has got.

Her two little fluffy babies are peeking out from under her. I swear I will figure out how to get a pic.

It is cute beyond words.

But she WON'T get off and go take care of her babies. These have been hatched two days and I am afraid they will get hungry.

There she sits on her 12 other eggs.

If I go out tonight and take the others away and candle them to make sure that there are none in there waiting to hatch--I don't know why there would be, they were all set at the same time--do you think she will get off in the morning?

Of course I want all the eggs to have a chance, but I surely do NOT want to lose the ones that are out!

What do you think, those with more experience?

Catherine

 

[flakey chick]

The little ones can survive 3 days w/o food or water. Put some food and water within beak reach.

 

[BluegrassSeramas]

I would put food and water near, listen for peeping in the eggs, candle the eggs (or move them to an incubator if you have one..)
Then take the eggs if nothing....IF she is still broody..set up a brooder or take away her nest box...?

 

[redneckgirl]

I say just put food & water right next to nest. The mama is just following her instincts. just leave them with her. good luck!

 

[pbjmaker]

I'm having the same issue. One of my broodies only hatched one chick that she is keeping under her. The other egg was a dud so I took it away but she keeps taking eggs from the other broodies. I'm giving her until tomorrow and then booting her from the coop with her baby to go hang out with the other broody that has 4 chicks.

 

[BluegrassSeramas]

Im always hopeful with eggs......sometimes when we are pretty sure they are not going to hatch..we open them to see what happened!

 

[Mahonri]

Give her another day and put some little tuna cans filled with water and chick starter up close but make certain the water can't be tipped over.

 

[IggiMom]

Thanks folks. I went out in the dark and candled the unhatched eggs and they were all clear. So I took them away from her, and if in the morning she has not emerged, I will take her little house away.

A hen on another thread held her chicks down and tried to kill them. That is not common, is it? I don't want to take the ones she hatched away from her, because she has been so faithful, but perhaps I should.

Catherine

 

[dancingbear]

Quote:
No, it's common for a hen to kill the chicks. If she was going to kill them, she probably would have done it by now. After 2 days, they should be safe. Just watch, in case she goes psycho, but that's really not common at all.

It is common for a hen to remain on the nest even as long as 3 days after the chicks hatch. Since you took the other eggs, she'll most likely give t up pretty soon. When the chicks get restless and start creeping out of the nest without her, she'll probably get up and care for them.

 

[pbjmaker]

How is your hen today?

I had to throw mine out of the coop. She had stole 4 more eggs from other hens that are still sitting. Her little baby was thirsty. I think she wants more than one chick because she tried to take a chick from my other broody when she was out showing hers what to eat.

This should be an interesting day.