Preparing for new chick advice!

tangerinedreams

In the Brooder
9 Years
Aug 15, 2010
23
0
32
My hen has been sitting on 1 egg for 20 days now. I'm getting worried about her though because she doesn't seem to be eating or drinking much at all. I put a handful of sweetcorn, or seeds next to her a couple of times a day and she attacks them like she is starving hungry!

I'm just hoping someone with more experience can put my mind at ease a bit and tell me what should be happening/what to expect. Will I know if the chick has hatched? Will it be hiding under her feathers for warmth? Do I need to help her along or anything?

I doubt it changes anything but my second hen (I only have two as I had to give away my cock) sits on the egg wth her.

I'm sure this will cause a few rolling eyes with these dumb questions but I am totally new to this!

Thanks in advance.
 
What should be happening/what to expect?

When the chick hatches, you should here peeping.
But you should NOT be lifting mom up to see the egg.


Will I know if the chick has hatched?

You should here loud peeping, and an occasional 'peak' out
of mom's feathers, though for the first couple days, the chicks
will rarely come out from unerneath mom.


Will it be hiding under her feathers for warmth?

Yes, for a couple days it will.

Do I need to help her along or anything?

Absolutely not, the hen will take care of everything, however
it's a good idea to move them in their own erea, where they wont
be bothered by the others, AFTER everything is hatched and dried off




When did you give your roo away? Did he already 'do his job' with the eggs

first? If not, your eggs may not be fertile. It's day 20, theres nothing to worry about. Some even

hatch 4-5 days late.
 
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Hi Tangerinedreams,
If your egg is going to hatch, it will do so in the next few days. Presumably (?) this is a fertile egg - if you've had a rooster until just recently, it would probably be. But broody hens will sit on any eggs, fertile or not, and they will not eat or drink much - they go into a sort of dream-state - even if the egg isn't fertile and will never hatch - and they can become malnourished and sickly. So you may want to intervene in this situation by trying to "break up" the broodinesss in this hen and it sounds like your other hen might be feeling the hormone/broodiness vibes as well. Search on this site for "broody hens" and you will read some advice about what to do. If a chick hatches, you may not see it for a few days, but then you will notice it peaking out under it's mamma's breast. If it's been 24 or 25 days and no chick, that isn't going to happen, best to try to bring that broody hen back to earth. Good luck!
 
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It hatched!! I caught a 2 second glimpse of the little chick today... so sweet!

From the research i've done I understand that she will be hidden away for the next 2 days or so and won't need any food from me? Shall I put crumbs out just incase? I have a normal sized water dish in the compartment next to where mum and chick are.
 
I'm so happy she hatched!
celebrate.gif


As for food, It doesn't hurt to put crumbles out, but you don't have to.
wink.png


We always replace our 'deeper' waterers with little short pans. The chicks

not only can't reach the big ones, but the can also fall in and drown once

they start attempting to fly up on the edges (we've had it happen before, but

luckily, the chick made it) And if you have other chickens (I read you have another hen?)

It doesn't hurt to seperate mom and chick until the chick gets bigger. But since you only

have one other hen, I suppose you could just watch them and see how she acts around

the chick.

good luck and congrats!
 

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