OMG! What the heck do I do now?

[eviered]

My Australorp hatched out a poult! It's alive and underneath her -- there are 4 more eggs under her, how long do I wait to see how many hatch? And then what? I have other chickens and it is supposed to snow this week. Right now I have the other chickens locked out of the coop so they don't disturb momma -- (I have a smaller coop the exiled birds can go in and out of to get out of the weather)

Do I wait a day or two and then move the poults (assuming the others hatch) under a brooding light like I would normally when I get them from the turkey store? They need to have access to food and water at some point-- what is the best way to do this?

 

[OmaBird]

I always remove the poults as they hatch. My chickens have always killed the poults wants they figure out they are not chickens. By removing them the chicken will stay put too. Can you candle eggs and see what is going on? This way you can make a wiser choice of what to do.

 

[eviered]

Okay -- I'll remove the one this evening, I don't have the brooder set up yet but will do that now. I did candle the eggs a while ago and they all looked like there was something in there compared to the good/bad pics posted on here. But wouldn't it be bad to handle the eggs now if they are hatching?

I can keep checking her to see if the remaining 4 hatch -- she is a really nice/gentle chicken with me and doesn't peck when I poke around under her. She's been working so hard, I hate to take the babies away.

 

[OmaBird]

I have seen one silky hen (not mine) raise turkeys. She is the exception not the rule. Mine would kill them in a day or two. Every minute is a risk I won't take. My hens get mad for a minute but stay sitting. It is much worse if you wait until they are out and about (if the poults live that long).

Are they hatching right now? If so leave them. I only candle them to find out if all if fine. I do one egg at a time. They don't even notice.

Hens leave the nest with the babies and any eggs not hatched die. Thats why I take the babies even from turkeys. I can care and protect them better too.

 

[eviered]

Two more when I got home! Three total-- and one more is peeping through the egg. I brought the just hatched into the house. They are drinking and one is even pecking at some scrambled egg -- he is the biggest, I think that is the one that hatched this morning. Wow! This is amazing!

 

[afeatherfan]

I have had chickens hatch and raise turkeys before . Right now I have a white langshan hen raising 9 poults now. 5 I got at a sale and put baby powder on an put them under her at night time an 4 she hatched out. No Problem.

 

[eviered]

Here they are! 4 so far . . .

 

[lnm03]

Awwww....they are so precious!!!! Good luck to you!!!!

 

[boxermom]

I've got a Buff Orpington raising 5 BR poults that she hatched. They are 12 days old and doing fine. I just had 5 more poults hatch under another BO. 2 yest. and 3 today. They also are fine. Still waiting for 1 egg to hatch. 5/5 with the first BO and so far 5/6. It has been very cool and gloomy, so I have a heat lamp in the brooders. Mama is taking full advantage of it in her dust/sun bathing.