They are hatching!!!! What do I do???

[heybarb]

So at least one of my OEGB is going to be a mama...I heard chirping and lifted her up just a little bit and saw this egg getting ready to hatch!! It's from one of my white leghorns with a buff cochin daddy...raised by an OEGB. Pretty funny!!

Here's my dilemna...she's up high in one of the nest boxes. We are going out of town this afternoon for the weekend...can I move her now? I tried moving her a few nights ago and she wanted nothing to do with a new nest and returned to this nest box twice. If I put the other 5 eggs and the hatching egg in the new nest will she stay there? What do you think? This is my first time with a broody girl!?!?

 

[sourland]

I would be reluctant to move her before the eggs all hatch. If you decide to do so, keep a close eye on her. Is there anyhone who can check in on her tomorrow? How high is 'up high'? The chicks may be able to jump out of the nest if not too high and not landing on a hard surface.

 

[heybarb]

It's probably about 2 feet, but I am worried if one falls out it definitely can't get back in...especially if mama is still in the nest waiting on the other eggs to hatch. I do have a friend that volunteered to come over and check on the chickens, but I don't even know what to tell her to check on...should I ask her to move the nest tomorrow afternoon?

 

[sourland]

Is there a dog crate you can move the hen and chicks into? If so you might give that a try.

 

[heybarb]

Yes, I've got a dog carrier. It's for a medium sized dog...similar to this one (http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3196957&lmdn=Carrier+Style)

I also have a rabbit cage (similar to this one without the stand http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12458201). My daughter covered up the sides of the rabbit cage with cardboard so it's not so wide open. The front is open. We tried moving her into the rabbit cage earlier this week (at night) and she wanted nothing to do with it. She got up twice and went back to the nest box...

The rabbit cage will slide right under the lowest roost in the coop so that she'd still be with everyone else, just separated and safe from the other chickens...

Any thoughts on what would be better?

 

[heybarb]

I have decided to leave her where she is for now. I added an extra piece of cardboard on the coop side of the nest box so that a baby can't accidentally fall out, but Mama can get out if she needs to. My friend is going to come over tomorrow afternoon and move mama, her babies and the eggs that haven't hatched into the rabbit cage in the coop. It's already set with chick food & water.

I hope it's OK. The timing couldn't have been worse...

 

[sourland]

Sounds like a sensible solution.

 

[heybarb]

So my friend called and only one egg - the one that hatched yesterday afternoon, has hatched. She said mama hen is still very protective of the other 5 eggs and keeps pushing them under her, so is there hope they might still hatch?

I asked her to leave mama & baby where she is now, and to move them late this afternoon to the rabbit hutch along with any unhatched eggs, because she does not have access to food or water in the nest box.

 

[sumi]

It's better not to move her now, rather give her some water where she is. If you feed her she may poop in the nest, which wouldn't be ideal... And if you move her she'll get upset and may refuse to sit any longer. I had a hen hatch chicks once and the last one arrived on day 25, so give her a bit more time. From my experience over the past 4 years chicks under broodies hatch over a 2-3 day period. The hens seem to know when to give up.

 

[heybarb]

We did not move her. She is still in the nest box with 4 chicks and two eggs. I don't hear any cheeping or noises coming from eggs, so I'm not sure if they'll hatch or not. We gave her some water and a little bit of chick food and she settled right down on the eggs and babies, so we'll plan to leave her there another day, then move her tomorrow. The first egg hatched on Friday, the other 3 hatched late Saturday or early Sunday...so we're hoping the last two eggs will hatch soon...

Oh my, I had forgotten how cute day old chicks are!! Wow! All the little chicks have feathers all down their legs, so I'm certain that the buff cochin is the daddy and not the OEG.