We are first timers also and we left our broody in her nest which is about 18 inches off the floor. She just hatched the last one late last night. Hatchings started sunday night, so as I learned the hard way just be patient. I thought they would all hatch within hours of each other but in reality it takes days. Our girl is still in her box we just screwed a board to the edge so there is a higher lip so the chicks don't fall out. We will move her and her chicks to a box at ground level this afternoon. Good luck with the hatch and post pics please!Hi, everyone! I'm normally just a lurker, but my broody's been hatching right along with you all.We're on day 18, due to hatch Friday, and I'm getting excited! Bertha has 11 eggs under her; I candled 3 on day 15, and all were doing great. I've seen a couple of posts on BYC about hens who got confused and left the nest for a while, and I guess I just need a little hand-holding and reassurance, or harsh reality if that's what my situation calls for. Ya see, my nest boxes are up high, so I tried to move my Bertha to a box on the ground yesterday. She moved right in with her eggs and was sitting on them when I closed the coop last night, but this afternoon at 4:30 she was back in her old nest on new eggs, and the eggs she'd been sitting on were pretty cold (it was 88 and muggy today). Should I candle them this close to the hatch date, or just wait and see? Also, I didn't want to separate her from the flock, but the nest is so high I can't imagine it would be safe for the chicks. I have a rabbit hutch adjacent to the coop that isn't yet inhabited but would allow plenty of room. Should I lock her in it with her eggs?
I'm SUCH a newbie, sorry if my questions have been covered elsewhere. Thanks for reading!
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