Please help! I don't know what to do next -- UPDATE

[anniemary]

I've posted this question twice now and haven't rec'd a response.

I have five clutches being brooded over by 5-7 hens. The first hen started her clutch on April 1st, the other hens followed about a day or two each thereafter. We have five baby chicks doing well now, so far (although I"m still not sure which chick belongs to which mama).

One morning, I found a new dead baby chick outside the nests. The baby was almost dry. Another morning, there was an abandoned egg pushed out of the nest and upon cracking it, it was a yucky, bloody mess. Last night, my husband pulled out two or three dead chick masses from the first hen's nest. This morning, I pulled out two crushed eggs/masses from two more nests.

It's now April 27. Should we just remove the eggs? We have mamas that are still sitting on them. Why are we getting so many dead babies? It appears they are almost fully formed, they just aren't making it out of the eggs correctly or have died a week before they were to hatch.

I'm a bit frustrated because all of my searching pulls up answer for incubator eggs, but I can't find a lot of information on hen-hatched eggs. We thought we'd let nature take it's course, but now I'm wondering how I'm supposed to intervene if anything.

Should I candle them or just remove them all?

Please help! Thank you!!!

 

[jbowyer01]

Goodness! I wish I had answers for you but I've only used my broody to hatch a couple of eggs, but I've never used two or three hens. Hopefully this will bump you up so someone with experience can help.

 

[Elite Silkies]

If they are close to hatch date, I would not remove them. You risk humidity loss in the eggs and the chicks will get vapor locked inside. They can take up to 24 days.

I just let nature takes it's course. Not all will make it. I had one setting on 11 eggs and only 5 made it.

 

[Lesa]

I'm sorry you are having this problem! Unfortunately, I don't know about hatching. I am hoping someone else will chime in... Good luck!

 

[anniemary]

PS. Also, when I do find information on hen-hatched eggs, they are about eggs that have been placed there by owners, not eggs that have been laid by the mamas. Since a chicken lays an egg a day, doesn't that mean my eggs will hatch one day at a time vs. all at once with eggs placed under them by humans? If so, how long should I wait?

 

[The Chicken People]

 

[TriciaHowe]

are they all in their own nest boxes or are they all trying to sit on the same eggs?

 

[anniemary]

Thanks for trying to help, everyone! Hopefully someone will have answers...

 

[anniemary]

Quote:
We have five nests with five hens laying. Alot of the time, there is an additional one or two additional hens trying to help, making it 5-7 hens sharing the five nests. One night, we found a hen with 2 additional roommates! 3 hens in one nest (and the other four nests occupied with only one hen)

 

[TerriLaChicks]

Quote:
I can't help you about your broodies, but yes, eggs do tend to hatch in the order in which they were laid--but quicker--they won't hatch a whole day apart, but the oldest eggs will tend to hatch first. Hope that made sense.