The Chicks are Coming, but Mama is stinky!

[LovinChicknFarmn]

Checked on my broody mama this morning and one chick is hatching! She's sitting on 11 eggs and it is Day 22 today. Of course I was getting antsy (even though last year she hatched out 5 babies with no problem) and decided none were going to hatch and what was I going to do. We'd started with 12 eggs, but one was rotten and busted on her last week, so now she has some lingering stink about her, which is gross. Does anyone have any suggestions to help this stink get out of her feathers once the babies are born? Should I just let her deal with it by dust bathing or is there some sort of powder or something I can put on her to help absorb the smell? It's not terible when you're near her, but if you lift her up, which I have to check the eggs, your hand is stinky afterward. If she stays stinky those babies are all going to stink too. But, I'm so excited about babies!

 

[Judy]

I would bathe her (In a tub or sink with mildly soapy water) and change the nesting material. Hopefully you won't have to bathe a young chick.

 

[cochins1088]

I agree with a bath and nesting materical change, that would clear up the smell. But if there is any chance that she is still hatching, do not disturb her. And when giving her a bath, I would keep the chicks near so that they are never out of her sight. Do NOT wash the chicks unless they are extremely bad because they can't regulate their body temaptures. Also, after you bathe the hen, make sure she is near 100% dry with a blow dryer so that she doesn't get the chicks wet and can keep them warm.

 

[LovinChicknFarmn]

Thanks for the advice. She's still hatching, so I'll wait and see how it goes. A bath may be in order in a few days.