PU! Boom!

[crabbycluck]

I've gotta question. I have a broody hen sitting on 6 eggs that are due to hatch in about 3 or 4 days. I came home today to find one of them had exploded and the rest of them had some of the "goo" on them. I wiped them off the best I could. Will the bacteria from the bad egg kill the chicks that are ready to hatch? Is all hope gone? Whaaaaaaa!

 

[3 sisters farm]

Well I don't know...I did the same thing in my bator last night, since birds can live without us, and this happens in nature I would keep trying. Sure does stink though....I thought the cats had brought in something dead....then I followed my nose to the bator. Good luck mary

 

[swtangel321]

Where they only have 2 or 3 days they should be fine !!!!! Just keep an eye on them !!!! Keep us updated !!!! Good luck !!!!

 

[crabbycluck]

Horray!!! I came home today to the sound of cheeping under my Domonique hen. I braved several pecks and lifted her off the nest to find three beautiful Silkie/Domonique chicks. Three other eggs still show no sign of pipping, but I'm thrilled I've got three. My other hen is sitting on a nest of 12! She had 17 eggs, but I gave some of her eggs to the other hen. I wasn't expecting them to hatch until this weekend, but what a nice surprise!

 

[crabbycluck]

My other hen has three chicks too! She has 9 more eggs that all have pipped! Now.... what to do with all the chicks. Does anyone near central Georgia want any free Dominique/Silkie chicks?

:

 

[texaschickmama]

How exciting. I'm waiting on my broodies to hatch out some. I just candled for the first time ever. From what I could tell out of the 16, 12 are growing, 2 of those questionable so I stuck them under her. How many did you end up with?

 

[crabbycluck]

7 chicks so far with 6 more pipped. It's supposed to get down to around 49 degrees tonight. I hope the mama hens can keep the babies warm!

 

[crabbycluck]

I woke up this morning to find all the chicks doing well. My one hen had the rest of her eggs hatch during the night, and she was sitting on a brood of ten beautiful chicks! The other hen (the one that had the egg explode) still had three chicks, but another egg had pipped during the night. The other two eggs still show nothing. Horray for babies!

 

[needmorechickens!]

Wow, that's a really great turnout! Congrats on your babies!
~Rebecca

 

[crabbycluck]

One of my babies!