Several Questions for a first-time Broody Hatcher!

[Suburban Sprouts]

1. One egg pipped yesterday and the chick hatched overnight. None of the other eggs show any obvious signs of pipping... How long should I wait before giving up?

2. One egg had been pushed out of the nest sometime during the day yesterday and it was cold to the touch, no signs of pipping and no sounds coming from inside the shell - should this egg be discarded?

3. How long do I need to keep the mama and chicks separate from the rest of the flock?

 

[sumi]

1. Wait 'till the first chick is 3 days old. Put some food and water (shallow dish!) in with mom so she and the baby can eat and drink. She won't get up now with them hatching.
2. I once found an egg that got pushed out and it rained. The egg was wet and cold. It hatched 2 days later.
3. Keep them separate for a week or two. Then integrate under supervision.

Enjoy your hatch, hope you get more chicks!

 

[mstricer]

I never separate mine, other then when she jumps out of the nest with the babies, I put her in a small house. She usually has them out of the nest and in the run by day 2. My hen is very protective for the first week, then she relaxes a bit.