What do I do after hen hatches her eggs?

[iheartchkns]

 

[Oven Ready]

Well done to you and well done to your hen.
Those two look like Batman & Robin with their black masks .

Don't worry if all the other three don't hatch, we find the first two eggs laid rarely hatch, but ours (and they're only bantams) have a habit of laying 10 or more eggs. She'll know when there's nobody else coming and she'll leave the eggs and start foraging with chicks.

Although, saying that, one of ours left her eggs with five chicks and five eggs left behind, we left the eggs in the nest for another day but she never went back to them, we took them from the coop down to the house (ready to get opened up by my ever eager daughter) before feeding them to the fish in the pond. She didn't open them and they sat there for two days until the third morning there was a little cheepy wet check had hatched out, fully four days after the mother had left the nest. It's hot where we are, 37-40C every day and only 32C at night so that might have been enough warmth to keep the little guy going until he hatched. His mother took him in straight away like 'hey ! where have you been?' rather than 'hey ! who are you?'. When my daughter got round to opening up the other four eggs, two were infertile (eggs 1 & 2) and two were only partially developed and a bit stinky - my daughter and the fish thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

I wish your little fuzzballs all the luck in the world.

 

[iheartchkns]

Thank you for the great information about just leaving the eggs alone for a little longer. The mother has left the nest with the two that hatched and begun showing them the ropes around the farm. It's very cute. We will keep an eye on the other three eggs for a couple more days to see if anything happens.

As the proud and nervous grandma, I am a little reluctant to let the mother hen take the chicks free-ranging with her, because we have farm cats and black rat snakes, though the cats normally stay away from the chickens, because they get pecked if they bother them. Should I be wary of letting the mother hen take the chicks around like this outside of a coop or other protection? I'd hate to lose the little cuties.

 

[Nostalchic]

I have let my hen take the chicks out into the run from their separate little room in my coop after the first 4 or 5 days, but I don't leave them unsupervised. She's very protective, but they are much more vulnerable to predators, as you say. Also, my viable chicks hatched out within 18 hours of one another - but the hen continued to sit on 6 eggs for several days after that. I was worried because she wouldn't get off to eat, drink, show the little ones around, etc, so I finally removed them and opened them up. They were all infertile. I suppose I could have candled them at some point, but the were very dark Maran eggs. So I'm not sure if they always sense whether there are chicks in those eggs or not. Not sure what would have happened if I hadn't taken them away,either, but as soon as they were gone, she got up and started being a great mom. This is all so interesting!

 

[damselfish]

Your call on letting them go with mama to free range. Many people choose to keep them in with mama for a while if you have a practical way to do that, & it sure will be easier on your nerves!

We have free range keets running with their guinea mama right now and all has been well. They're about a week old & she's had them out since day one. We know it's a risk, but we want to have them raised this way so they can pass on their smarts to the next generation. We'll see...

Good luck either way and congratulations on the cute chicks!

 

[iheartchkns]

Thank you for the other advice on free-ranging the chicks. Since it's Sunday and the whole family is home, we will keep an eye on them and see how it goes. I am working on containing my coop and chicken yard today, so hopefully, they will go in there soon and worries can subside. )

 

[Oven Ready]

We find losses in the first few days are reduced by keeping the chicks and hen in a small 2x2 metre enclosure, it lets them get used to scratching but stops them getting into harms way. We have a pervasive, sticky plant here that will trap chicks up to about three weeks old (they're just not strong enough to pull themselves off of it, mom wanders off, easy pickings for crows, squirrels, ants etc.), once over a week old they can last long enough for us to find them usually. Also hawks seem much keener to take very small chicks rather than week old ones. Also other chickens aren't that friendly to little chicks and a peck on the head can kill a day old no trouble.

As they're your first I'd keep them in for at least five days, give them some dirt to dig in and if you have termites they just love them. Make sure your water bowls aren't too deep, if they are put stones or a brick in it so that if they fall in they can get back out.

Our cats were never a problem with chicks, but if yours are only used to big chickens a small chick might seem a little more interesting, even as a toy. It's great when the cats and chickens get along - keeps hawks, snakes, lizards and other cats away.

Nostalchic

but the hen continued to sit on 6 eggs for several days after that

Some of our hens are up and out the same day, others will sit on eggs for a whole week after all the chicks that are going to hatch have hatched but they do give up, eventually. They still care for the little ones, just keep them near the nest while they wait. Only about four weeks ago we had had one girl (aptly named 'Madly') sit on her eggs for five weeks and eventually we took her off - all nine eggs were completely clear - she had no idea but in general they know what's going on.​

 

[mariam231]

thank you all for the information, i am new in having chickens in my backyard and i was so happy to see new chicks under my hen this morning,i stood their wondering what should i do, take them out or take the hen away to be honest i freaked out for a second then i remembered this wonderful site that been helping me for 1 year now, i got a lot of knowledge and my flock went from 16 chicks to 44 chickens.
have a blessing day full of happiness,
it is funny but i feel like i just had a baby of my own.