Stupid Broody

[whitecra]

Yesterday when I feed the silkies I checked on the one that is broody. She has one egg under her. I wasn't sure when it was due to hatch. I could hear it chirping. This morning I go out to check on it and she is setting there and the eggs isn't under her. It is laying right in front of her. The baby is crying. The egg is cold. I put it under her because I had something I had to get into the house. I went back out to check and the baby is still crying and cold. I brought him in and put him in the bator. I sure hope he can hatch. I want to help him but I will wait and see if he can do it on his own. I put in a wet wash cloth. There is other eggs in the bator that are on day12. When do you think I should help if the need comes?
Chris

 

[MissPrissy]

Not all hens are good mothers. With that said they seem to know when things aren't right. Nature gave them the instinct and ability to cull their own for the betterment of the flock.

Good luck with your egg.

 

[whitecra]

Quote:
Thanks. She has already sat and hatched out this year and she down great. I am just not sure what is going on now. She was sitting on 4 eggs about 4 weeks ago and a opossum got the eggs and she was fine. Then she decided to sit again. I really didn't want any more chicks right now but she wouldn't stop so I let her have just 1 egg. When it hatches I will take it back out to her and see what happens.
Chris

 

[vfem]

Swear to you... my silkie has been kicking out 'ICK' eggs on this hatch. (not my dumb black one who went from sitting on nothing to sitting on the bad eggs my white girl kicks out.)

They know, if something is not 'good enough' they don't bother. They only want the healthy good chicks and eggs to take care of.

 

[whitecra]

She just did this this morning. Well the chick has hatched in the bator and looks fine. He isn't happy though. So should I let him get good and dry before giving him back to her?
Chris

 

[MissPrissy]

If you take out a wet chick it could chill and die in a few hours. Wait till it is warm and fluffy and then try it. She may or may not accept it back.

 

[whitecra]

Quote:
OK thanks
Chris

 

[Griffox]

I'm going through the same exact thing. I just came on here for advice.

My first timer has been sitting on the eggs for almost four weeks now. One she let explode under her, than after that she started kicking out eggs left and right. One egg had pipped and cracked last week and that afternoon I went to check and it was gone. Just gone. I looked everywhere for it, so I made sure I separated her from the other chickens. This morning I went to do one final candling before taking the last four eggs (The youngest are on Day 24). There was one dead wet chick on the floor, three eggs that look questionable and I got to the last one and lo' and behold a little beak poked out.

I chipped away a little section that was punched out and the membrane is completely dry and shrunk all around the chick. I brought it in and moistened the membrane, wrapped it in a wet paper towel and put it in the bator. The chick's beak is sticking out enough to breath. I have eggs around day 13 in the bator, but went ahead and upped the humidity. I've been dry incubating so far, so I'm hoping that a few hours of higher humidity won't drown the babies????

I guess it's just a waiting game, now? Any suggestions? I've never hatched eggs before...

 

[whitecra]

What I did was take the wet wash cloth out after the chick hatched and that brought the humdity back down for the other eggs. Just watch and see what happens.
Chris

 

[Griffox]

Thanks. I'll do that. I hope this little chickie gets crackin' so I don't have to keep the humidity up long. I'm going to try posting a picture. It's peeping and moving around a bit, but there are still some veins going through the membrane, so I'm guessing it's just not ready to come out.

Edit: about one hour later...the veins seem to have been absorbed?