What Can I Expect After This Newbie Mistake?

[Knucker Hatch Farms]

Hi there expert hatchers,

I need a bit of advice. After almost a year of enjoying chicken life, our buff orpington went broody. This is our first experience with broodiness, and due to a substantial loss of three excellent laying hens, I decided to let her sit on some eggs. However, I did not really want more Orpingtons as they can be a bit "dramatic", and decided to put other eggs under her. What I didn't realize or know about at the time is the 6 day factor of being able to collect eggs and put them all under her at once. Instead, I'd put two under her here, three more under her the next day, and so on over a period of five days. Now I know.

So now, I'm guessing this will be an extended hatch? My intention was to let her hatch the eggs out naturally and take care of the little ones. However, do I need to intervene with the first hatchers and put them in the baby brooder for a few days while the others finish cooking? Or can she sit on babies while still allowing others to hatch? Does it simply depend on if she still sits on the eggs after the first flush hatches? When exactly would you all step in and decide intervene?

I've done a ton of reading on here, but I don't want to screw it up with intervention or lack of intervention or cluelessness.

Warm Regards,

Mama Knucker Hatch

I've candled all the eggs and she is now sitting on nine, after removing four. The kids wanted to break open the four, and I was SO NERVOUS I might be wrong and open things up on a little growing chickie! But our candling efforts were correct. I just want to know we've done our best.

 

[yellowdragon]

well I am not an expert, but with my expertience the eggs won't hatch at the same rate anyway. My hens will set till they are hatched. I would (once the eggs start hatching) move her to a cage with food and water so the hatched chicks have food and water. Hopfully she will make the transition ( mine will make the transition after eggs start to hatch, not before). Then once the eggs all hatch do what you normally do. that plan has worked for me with extended hatches

 

[BirdBoy88]

They all should hatch on the same day.

when my Banty hens go broody i take her egg she lays in the nest everyday an replace it with a another chicken egg and i'll keep doing that till she stop layin her own eggs an sometimes that will take 8 or 9 days and the eggs i i put under her all hatch the sameday 'note' even the last egg that was lay by another chicken 9 days later than the first one hatches on the same day as the rest

i hope this helps you : )

 

[chickenlady]

It is really a hard call. Most broodies will sit on the eggs until they all hatch, and then they will take care of the babies. I like the idea of putting her in a separate cage with food and water, this way you can better control the care of the little ones without actually taking them away from the mom. The chicks can go about 3 days without eating and drinking because of the yolk absorbtion at hatch time. But much longer than that, I would be offering food to them. Best of luck to you, my guess is your broody is going to be an excellent mommy.