Putting eggs 2 days from hatching under hen, or grafting babies to the broody?

[Redhead Rae]

I have 1 baby and 4 pipped eggs out of 5!

 

[Redhead Rae]

I have 3 more babies that hatched overnight! The last egg is also close to hatching.

 

[WVduckchick]

are you going to give them to the hen tonight?

I checked under a broody this morning, I had just swapped the eggs she was on with 3 left over from another broody, heard peeping and one had hatched!

 

[Redhead Rae]

are you going to give them to the hen tonight?

I checked under a broody this morning, I had just swapped the eggs she was on with 3 left over from another broody, heard peeping and one had hatched!

Well, the 5th chick died in shell. It was malpo and did a very poor job zipping (it had erratic holes punched along the mid-line of the egg) and it didn't have the strength to push out.

I just gave the chicks another dose of NutriDrench and I took the chicks out and gave them to my broody. I'm leaving to go on a business trip tomorrow morning, so I wanted to give them to her today so I could keep an eye on her. I put them under her and three of them immediately popped right back out. She growled and pecked at them to get them to go under her. They weren't getting the message and she wasn't happy until I shoved them up under her butt. Then they stayed put. She is now sitting on them contentedly. I'll check on her a few more times this afternoon, but I think it was successful

 

[Redhead Rae]

I should have another batch of Cornish chicks hatching next Thursday, and my Cornish broody should be hatching her eggs some time over the weekend. Depending on how many of her eggs hatch, I may try grafting some of those babies onto her. She wouldn't be able to care for as many as the fluffy Buffs. She has a hard time keeping 7 eggs covered because she has feathers that are very tight to her body.

 

[Redhead Rae]

The cuteness!

I had to lift her wing to see if the babies were okay. When I lifted her wing, out this baby popped. She was clamped over them tighter than a clam shell over a pearl.

This one didn't want to come out.

 

[WVduckchick]

The cuteness!

I had to lift her wing to see if the babies were okay. When I lifted her wing, out this baby popped. She was clamped over them tighter than a clam shell over a pearl.

This one didn't want to come out.

 

[Redhead Rae]

Mama has her babies out on grass and is showing them the ropes. They stayed in the box all day yesterday. I put a little feed in their box last night so the chicks could get a nibble before bed.

I'll take pictures in a bit.

A sick Milk Drinker is delaying our departure for the business trip to this afternoon.

 

[Redhead Rae]

She’s so happy.