chippy99th
Chirping
Hey y'all I have questions. Just discovered today I have a broody bantam mix. Unfortunately I pulled her off the nest before I realized her eggs are HATCHING. She wouldn't get back on the nest for a little while (maybe 20 minutes). Two had already hatched, one has hatched since, and several were pipped when she got up.
They're in an old tire. She hasn't been sitting on them consistently during the day until a few days ago. It's been hot enough here that she didn't need to, and she's apparently been on them at night and turning them occasionally during the day. So because she was out and about in the yard, I didn't even realize she'd had these eggs hidden away for that long, until I saw the two hatched chicks in there.
Questions:
1) Do you think the pipped eggs will still hatch, even though she was off the nest? The only other chick who's hatched since then (that I can tell) was already mostly done. I'm worried about humidity, the humidity level here is 12% right now.
2) How long should I leave the hatched chicks in with her? Normally I'd let them be but it's triple-digit temps outside and they're hot in that tire!
3) One other chick was partway through hatching when I saw them. It has made a good-sized hole across the egg but has not made any more progress since then, in fact the hole is large enough that its wing almost pokes out. Should I help it out (and if so, when)? Its beak is poking out and it seems to be breathing well, but it's not actively working on hatching.
This is where we're at as of now. You can see she's not actually covering the partly hatched chick. She has 13 more eggs under there, if my quick count was correct!
Sorry for the long post, I guess I'm an anxious grandma. Not my first hatch but this one is a total surprise.
They're in an old tire. She hasn't been sitting on them consistently during the day until a few days ago. It's been hot enough here that she didn't need to, and she's apparently been on them at night and turning them occasionally during the day. So because she was out and about in the yard, I didn't even realize she'd had these eggs hidden away for that long, until I saw the two hatched chicks in there.
Questions:
1) Do you think the pipped eggs will still hatch, even though she was off the nest? The only other chick who's hatched since then (that I can tell) was already mostly done. I'm worried about humidity, the humidity level here is 12% right now.
2) How long should I leave the hatched chicks in with her? Normally I'd let them be but it's triple-digit temps outside and they're hot in that tire!
3) One other chick was partway through hatching when I saw them. It has made a good-sized hole across the egg but has not made any more progress since then, in fact the hole is large enough that its wing almost pokes out. Should I help it out (and if so, when)? Its beak is poking out and it seems to be breathing well, but it's not actively working on hatching.
This is where we're at as of now. You can see she's not actually covering the partly hatched chick. She has 13 more eggs under there, if my quick count was correct!
Sorry for the long post, I guess I'm an anxious grandma. Not my first hatch but this one is a total surprise.
