Please read, may have first broody!!

[Jman45]

Some of that can be normal chicken behavior. If she was dust bathing, she would get up and fluff her feathers, flap her wings and shake off. If she is going broody, your biggest hint will be the "Cluck, Cluck" stuff and her hanging out for long periods of time in a nest.

She slept in her nest last night, younger ones though were on lower roost. I’ve had them for about 2-3 days now

 

[Peeps61]

Sometimes, hens will sleep in the nest if it's available. I'd try covering the nest at night and see if she gets on the roost. Broodiness can sometimes come on quickly or a hen can "sort of" be broody, then lose it. She may be playing with going broody, or she may just be adjusting. What kind of hen is she?

 

[Zizix123]

Sometimes, hens will sleep in the nest if it's available. I'd try covering the nest at night and see if she gets on the roost. Broodiness can sometimes come on quickly or a hen can "sort of" be broody, then lose it. She may be playing with going broody, or she may just be adjusting. What kind of hen is she?

I have a broody hen 7 eggs left and one was in the process of hatching and she was stepping on it chicks cheeping but there is blood on the egg I have another that has just piped. She has killed 4 chics by standing on them 3 hatched and doing well but I had to move eggs out of the way each time. I do not have an incubator but do have a plastic container and heating pad there are viable chicks in the eggs that havent hatched yet and I don't want any more losses because she stepped on them.

 

[Jman45]

Sometimes, hens will sleep in the nest if it's available. I'd try covering the nest at night and see if she gets on the roost. Broodiness can sometimes come on quickly or a hen can "sort of" be broody, then lose it. She may be playing with going broody, or she may just be adjusting. What kind of hen is she?

Yellow buff Orpington

 

[Peeps61]

I have a broody hen 7 eggs left and one was in the process of hatching and she was stepping on it chicks cheeping but there is blood on the egg I have another that has just piped. She has killed 4 chics by standing on them 3 hatched and doing well but I had to move eggs out of the way each time. I do not have an incubator but do have a plastic container and heating pad there are viable chicks in the eggs that havent hatched yet and I don't want any more losses because she stepped on them.

If the hen is not a good mother, the chicks can be brooded in a separate container with a heat lamp. However, the mother hen provides HUMIDITY for the eggs, so unless you are taking them and putting them in an incubator with the appropriate amount of humidity, the chicks may not make it with the heating pad. There isn't sufficient humidity with that method and the inside membrane will dry up and shrink wrap the chick, causing it to get stuck and die. Hens have been hatching chicks for a long time and sometimes they just need to learn how along with instinct. If the hen is killing them, take them as they hatch, but leave the eggs with her until then.

 

[Peeps61]

Yellow buff Orpington

She might be trying to go broody. I have 3 of those and at any given time, at least one of them is broody. It's a breed known for broodiness.

 

[lazy gardener]

I would not give a hen eggs until she has been sitting on the nest day and night x 72 hours. If you give her eggs when she's not in full on brood mode, you are likely to forfeit those eggs.

 

[Zizix123]

If the hen is not a good mother, the chicks can be brooded in a separate container with a heat lamp. However, the mother hen provides HUMIDITY for the eggs, so unless you are taking them and putting them in an incubator with the appropriate amount of humidity, the chicks may not make it with the heating pad. There isn't sufficient humidity with that method and the inside membrane will dry up and shrink wrap the chick, causing it to get stuck and die. Hens have been hatching chicks for a long time and sometimes they just need to learn how along with instinct. If the hen is killing them, take them as they hatch, but leave the eggs with her until then.

This is what I have a container with lid, bowl of water, and heating pad temp staying around 99ish

 

[Peeps61]

This is what I have a container with lid, bowl of water, and heating pad temp staying around 99ish

Can you measure the humidity? It needs to be around 75%.

 

[Zizix123]

No i don't have anything