One chick at a time

[Soulpatch59]

Hi guys,
I'm doing something wrong and I'm heartsick. 2 Nankin girls went broody and sat on 4 eggs each. I had heard about first timers having trouble resettling after being moved, so I let them sit on their eggs in the drawer in the bottom of the cabinet that is their home coop. They prefer it to the available nest boxes.
So, one little chick hatches, and I move Mom, baby, and remaining eggs into the nursery house. The nursery house is in the same enclosure, same conditions as the drawer they sat in for 3 weeks. These chicks and moms do fine, happy and healthy. Both times, she continues to sit on the other eggs, but they never hatch.
I feel I'm harming the eggs moving them, and I don't know what to do differently.
Any advice?
Thanks much.

 

[FLChickens]

If the eggs all begin incubation around the same time, as it should be (if you can keep hens from depositing new ones - we usually mark them in the nest and remove all new ones) ... but if they begin incubation at the same time, I don't give them more than an extra couple of days. You can candle the eggs and see what's going on.

Mama needs to become active again, and chick needs to learn to be a chicken, so I usually encourage them to get about it by the time chicks are 4 days or so old, if they haven't already.

Sometimes first-timers won't stop sitting and will ignore chicks if you don't remove the eggs. And if they aren't going to hatch, you also don't want them exploding on mama and baby.

 

[Soulpatch59]

I take the eggs away from them after a couple days, the moms do well. They are very attentive moms, the Nankins. Rather my concern is that moving those eggs right at hatching time is doing something to harm the chicks so they don't hatch.

 

[Miss717]

I know days 18-21 are "lockdown" days when the chicks position themselves in the eggs to hatch. Eggs shouldn't be turned during this time. I would think if you pay attention to which end is up and put the in the same position the chicks should hatch.

 

[FLChickens]

I take the eggs away from them after a couple days, the moms do well. They are very attentive moms, the Nankins. Rather my concern is that moving those eggs right at hatching time is doing something to harm the chicks so they don't hatch.

Oh, I see. Yes, I misunderstood your concern.

I don't move them at that point, and while I don't use an incubator, I know you aren't supposed to turn them at the last. But TBH, I'd be surprised if setting hens don't shuffle them around just a bit.

Just to be on the safe side, maybe you can protect them without moving them for a couple of days in future? At least then if it happens again, you won't blame yourself.

Are you sure the other eggs are fertile and developed? If you know they won't hatch, you can sometimes learn something by opening them.

 

[rebrascora]

If you are unsure about their viability you can do a float test in a bowl of warm water to check for movement before you give up on them and/or crack them open. I would wait 2-3 days after the first chick hatches before moving the hen and chick(s) in future and assume the remaining eggs have failed for some reason..... provided they were all set at the same time.

 

[Soulpatch59]

If you are unsure about their viability you can do a float test in a bowl of warm water to check for movement before you give up on them and/or crack them open. I would wait 2-3 days after the first chick hatches before moving the hen and chick(s) in future and assume the remaining eggs have failed for some reason..... provided they were all set at the same time.

I thought of that but I don't know how to stop the baby leaving the nest box, and Dad is in there, I wouldn't want it to get pecked

 

[Soulpatch59]

Do you think maybe I could move her and eggs into the nursery around day 14?

 

[rebrascora]

Dad really should not be a problem. Yes there are exceptions because all animals can be unpredictable but there is also a risk to moving her, so you have to decide which risk you want to take. I have a single chick that has just been hatched with a broody hen and they are in a pen with 3 roosters and numerous other hens, with no problem at all. Occasionally the head rooster will even feed it. It is not in the interests of a rooster to kill his chicks. The danger is more in our mind than the reality.