Starting to get excited about possible first hatch!! advice please!!

[candira]

Ok sorry to keep bothering you. But apparently it isn't quite as easy and cheap as I thought it would be to get some eggs for her to hatch. But in my research a couple people were saying you can get day old chick's and put them under her at night! What do you think about this and I'm not planning on separating her, will the other chickens hurt the babies?

 

[Monkeybean415]

No problem at all- I'm happy to help!

I was surprised by the cost of fertile eggs too! Sometimes more than chicks! I don't really understand it.

I've heard of putting brand new chicks under a broody too and watched a few videos about it. You need to make sure they're only a couple few days old so they still smell new and you'll still want to let he sit on decoy eggs for about 21 days. If you give her the chicks too soon she might reject them because her instincts know it's too early. Also it's better to put them under her at night when it's dark

 

[candira]

Ok so happy to share that after setting 12 fertile eggs under my broody hen, I had 2 hatch yesterday!! It was day 19, so now I'm wondering if anymore will hatch? Is it normal for more to hatch on day 20 or 21?? Or all around the same time? Two successfully hatched yesterday and one seemed as if it was almost out, I wanted to intervene, but my husband suggested that I shouldnt. I didnt, and that chick was dead, almost out of its shell this morning. I'm sad, but maybe it was meant to be. Anyway, just curious what you guys think, do I possibly have any more hatches left?

 

[Monkeybean415]

Congrats on the new chicks! I'm sorry about the loss but I think that can happen for a number of reasons and it maybe wasn't strong enough to survive out of the egg. There's a good chance you'll get more chicks in the coming days. It can take 2-3 days for them all the hatch

 

[candira]

The 2 surviving chick's both hatched on day 19, today is day 22 and I had one more chick dead in shell yesterday. I'm wondering when should I take the eggs out from under her. She is still staying on them and the new chick's are getting out of the nest and eating and drinking. But she stays on the eggs (she can reach the food and water from inside the nest). When should I remove the remaining 7 eggs?

 

[Monkeybean415]

I'm sorry I haven't been on in awhile. How are they doing? It's obviously too late but it's definitely been too long for any other chicks to be alive and hatch. Hope mama and her two chicks are doing well!

 

[candira]

Hey sorry, I'm getting back late as well. Yes I cracked the other eggs and they did not have baby chicks in them so that made me feel better... but the 2 little chicks are doing wonderful! Mama is making for a very good 1st time mommy!! Thanks so much for all your advice!!