Pullet Sitting on Eggs

[Tretinker]

Hi all,

We have a 30 odd week old sat on eggs. We do have a rooster but he is only around 20 weeks old.

About 3 weeks ago she started sitting but we kept removing th eggs and trying to encourage her out. Her sister had already been through this and we had broken her.

After a week or so of removing eggs we accidentally left one under her. The other girls had been laying in another box and we didn't realise she had an egg. Then her sister gave her another, and another. By the time we realised she had 4 eggs showing development.

We decided to leave her with these as she's so determined and they had started. So we have been going in and removing the other eggs daily and last night I candled the eggs we had estimated they were 7 days in. One egg is showing significant growth and the other 3 lots of blood vessels.

But now I have myself worried that I've not been gentle enough with these eggs, I've turned them while trying to light them and moved them in and out while checking for other eggs.

It's only just occured to me I should be gentle which is stupid I know but until last night I didn't imagine they would actually grow!

I can't undo what I've done but could they still continue to grow? So the eggs have been laid one a day with the oldest been 4 days older than the youngest we suspect if her sister laid evey day. This isn't ideal either I know but we are here.

The plan is to bring the chicks in if any hatch and grow them on indoors as the coop isn't really chick friendly.

Happy to take any advice. If any do hatch and we get roos they will be dealt with. Although may interest someone as dad is an olive egger and mum is a Araucana

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I wouldn't worry unless you gave them sudden jolts in the process.
Your issue will be the staggered hatch. After the first hatch, a day or two later the hen will leave the nest to care for the live chick/s and abandon any late bloomers so you'll need to make plans in that eventuality.
What makes the coop "not chick friendly"?

 

[Tretinker]

I wouldn't worry unless you gave them sudden jolts in the process.
Your issue will be the staggered hatch. After the first hatch, a day or two later the hen will leave the nest to care for the live chick/s and abandon any late bloomers so you'll need to make plans in that eventuality.
What makes the coop "not chick friendly"?

I don't think any sudden jolting as I'm a bit clumsy so I try to be care with any egg so that's hopefully a positive!

Thanks for this, if I were really lucky to arrive straight after hatching could I scoop up said chick and bring it in to brood? Would she stay sat then?

I would loath to but I might take out the furthest developed one, the other 3 look closer in development.

The coop exit is a ramp that starts out about 4 feet up and doesn't have sides. I'm looking at rabbit hutch options cheap second hand that we could put in the main run as another option

 

[Sussex19]

I have found eggs to be a lot tougher than I expected, once I dropped an egg from around 30cm onto a wooden floor, and it hatched without any issue.
With the coop, I think the only problem would be them getting back in in the evenings. Maybe you could just lift them up?
If you take the chicks as soon as they hatch, I think she will stay sitting for at least a little time and may start looking for them, but I'm sure that she would get over it eventually.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

But now I have myself worried that I've not been gentle enough with these eggs, I've turned them while trying to light them and moved them in and out while checking for other eggs.

It's only just occured to me I should be gentle

Broody hens rotate and turn their eggs several times daily to ensure even growth, which is why candling eggs doesn't harm the growing chick. The only time you should Not handle the eggs is during the last 3 eggs before hatch. During the last 3 days a chick is maneuvering into hatching position. If eggs are rotated during the last 3 days, a chick will need to maneuver into hatching position again, and a weak chick may not have the strength to escape it's shell. An artificial incubator mimics the behaviors of a broody hen, turning the eggs several times daily until the last 3 days, when the incubator goes into "lockdown."

The plan is to bring the chicks in if any hatch and grow them on indoors as the coop isn't really chick friendly.

When my hens first started hatching chicks, I brought them indoors to raise, the same as you are thinking about doing. My biggest concerns were other hens and snakes. But when I saw how despondent broodies were after I took their chicks, and realized the efforts they had taken to incubate and hatch them, I realized I was really no different than any other chick predator, at least from the perspective of mama hen. My solution was to make safe, separate broody pens completely wrapped and enclosed with 1/2" hardware cloth. I now let broodies out with chicks out during the day, since other hens now pay them no mind and snakes are mainly only active at night. And I discovered how much i enjoy watching broodies raise their chicks as nature intended.

I don't think any sudden jolting as I'm a bit clumsy so I try to be care with any egg so that's hopefully a positive!

if I were really lucky to arrive straight after hatching could I scoop up said chick and bring it in to brood? Would she stay sat then?

There is no need to remove the chick as soon as it has hatched. It takes about 24 hours for the chick to dry and regain strength expended from hatching. Mama hen will feel no pressure to leave the nest and tend to the first chick before then. Several times I've had a chick hatch 48 hours before the other chicks, even though all eggs were given to the broody at the exact same time. When this occurs I do bring the lone chick inside to a temporary brooder, complete with heat, food and water. Once the other chicks have hatched, I slip the earlybird chick back underneath mom at night. It is important to give early chick(s) back to mom Before she takes her chicks out of the nest box for the first time, otherwise she may reject the first chick(s) as not her own.

How cold will your outside temperatures be on the days soon following the hatch date?

 

[Tretinker]

Thank you @Sussex19 and @Allsfairinloveandbugs this is great and such a relief!

I think I'll monitor the situation and probably give the first chick 24 hrs. Bring it in and keep it safe while Marshmallow sits on the last 3 and as soon as the last one or second to last hatches I'll bring it out to join mumma. I don't want Marshmallow to be grieving for them.

It shouldn't be too cold, our really cold weather isn't till Jan Feb time. Around 10c should be the coldest day time temp and 5c the lowest night.

I do have the mean girl issue with the coop though. We have some hybrids that aren't nice to chicks so I definitely think we need to move Marshmallow and the eggs or chicks. Is there any safe time to do this? I worry if I move her now she'll stop being broody but if I don't and those eggs hatch and the mean girls take offence.....

I will get husband to build a brooder coop as we are in a lockdown order so the girls can't free range. Just need to figure out the best time to move her/them.

 

[Tretinker]

These are pictures of the eggs I'm not sure if they are okay?

How do I tell if they've given up?

 

[chicbaby]

I don't think any sudden jolting as I'm a bit clumsy so I try to be care with any egg so that's hopefully a positive!

Thanks for this, if I were really lucky to arrive straight after hatching could I scoop up said chick and bring it in to brood? Would she stay sat then?

I would loath to but I might take out the furthest developed one, the other 3 look closer in development.

The coop exit is a ramp that starts out about 4 feet up and doesn't have sides. I'm looking at rabbit hutch options cheap second hand that we could put in the main run as another option

do you have a small cage you could put them all in and bring in the house? that is what i would do, then bring them all out in a separate area when they are big enough slowly integrate them all.

 

[Tretinker]

do you have a small cage you could put them all in and bring in the house? that is what i would do, then bring them all out in a separate area when they are big enough slowly integrate them all.

Yes I do, I'm so undecided on what to do. I'm going to set all the setups I've got for all eventualities and play it by ear.

Her sister has been sat with her today helping her out and our normally mean girl looked after her eggs while she stretched her legs and got food and water so they are very sweet with her.

Today's pictures, I'm not very good at egg pictures!

 

[chicbaby]

That sounds great good luck with the babies.