psycho mom - - killing the hatching chicks - WHY?

[math ace]

So I have a hen who has spent 21 days sitting faithfully on her clutch of eggs.

PEeeep, Peeep, Peeeeep - do you hear them?
One chick breaks through the shell and we think hen accidently killed it because we distrubed her and she stepped on it.



Peeeep, Peeep, Peeeep - - do you hear the next chick?
It is the next day and we know another is hatching. This time we ignore the hen and chick.
Arrrrwak, Arrrrwak, Arrrrrwak - - - The hen is loudly sounding.
The next chick has broke through shell and it died again.


What is going on in with my hatch ? ? ? She only has 2 eggs left. What do I do? ?

 

[SpringChickens]

Pull them out - put them in an incubator ASAP!! Some mom's just kill their babies and no one knows why! You might be able to save the last two if you can get them in an incubator and away from their momma.

 

[math ace]

I don't have an incubator. . . .

What do you think about waiting until I hear it trying to break through and hooking up the heat lamp ? ? ? ?
The hen is still sitting on the unhatched eggs.

She went nuts after the last died. Screamed her head off until we remove the carcass.

 

[PortageGirl]

Sometimes they're just confused, sometimes they're stupid, sometimes they're clumsy. Not all are good at being mother hens.

If she's carelessly stepping on them, she can learn better, if she's pecking them (and possibly eating them... yeah yuck!)

 

[FenDruadin]

Sorry about your hen. I fear I may have one doing the same thing, but I'm waiting to see. Fortunately I have an incubator.

But to answer your question, yes, you can pull the chick out at the last minute and put it under a heat lamp. I've done this before and it doesn't hurt them too much--just make sure the temp is close to 98 degrees (use a thermometer), and try to keep it damp. Also, try to wait as long as you can--best to wait until it has cracked the top off the egg and is about to emerge. Otherwise you risk either causing it to stick to the shell or to bleed to death if you try to help it out of the shell.

Good luck...

 

[math ace]

Day 21 - - - hen accidently killed 1st chick.

Day 22 - - - hen killed 2nd chick and was very upset.

Day 23 - - - hen still sitting on last 2 eggs and NO HATCH, No Peep, Nada

Day 24 - - hen still sitting on last 2 eggs - - - What do I do ? ? ?

Are the last 2 eggs dud's ?

My plan is to pull out any hatching eggs and put under the heat lamp - - - so she doesn't kill them.
HOWEVER, it has been 24 hours and I have not heard or seen anything indictive of hatching . . . .

 

[SpringChickens]

Are you sure they're developed? Were they all put in at the same time? I'd probably give her another 2 days or so and then chalk it up to bad eggs.

 

[math ace]

They were all put together within a couple of days of each other.
I did not test to see if they were developed - - - do I just candle them ? ?

 

[SpringChickens]

Yeah, I'd just candle them - see if they're mostly black.

 

[math ace]

I did not have to candle them - - - got home yesterday and there was one LIVE chick hanging out with mom. She is still sitting on the last egg. I was hoping it would hatch today - - - but it hasn't happened.

The one chick is oh so cute -- - little chipmunk face. I hope she hatches out the last egg tomorrow. She has also gone in super duper protective mode. She gets up and pecks me for coming in to check on her