What to do with half-abandoned, chirping egg?

[weavingpachtie]

I have a broody hen who was sitting on 3 eggs--one hatched Sunday, one hatched yesterday, and the 3rd is chirping and moving today. However, every time I go out there, Granite (mama hen) is out with her other 2--but the egg is still warm to the touch when I feel it. I brought it in and put it on a heating pad (no incubator), but I think the hen will do a better job than me, so after a little while, I brought it back out. Granite nudged it under her (after I forced her and her chicks back in the hen house).

But then I went BACK out a little while later and she was off the egg AGAIN. This time just standing with the other two under her wings--but, again, the egg still warm to the tough. Honestly, I get the impression that the oldest chick is making Granite feel really frazzled because it's so active lol, but she doesn't WANT to abandon this one--she just can't figure out how to manage all 3. Or maybe she's doing what it needs--it's not hot today, but it's super humid (as usual this time of year). But it's very mild--like close to 70º I think.

My question: what do I do with the egg? I'm sitting with it against my belly right now. I don't want to keep moving it, though--should I trust Granite (mama hen) or take our chances with a heating pad?

 

[weavingpachtie]

I can feel it tapping. I'm so worried I'm going to screw it up by holding it while it's trying to get out...

 

[pennyJo1960]

Probably not messing it up. The hen does not want to egg now?

 

[weavingpachtie]

Probably not messing it up. The hen does not want to egg now?

I can't tell. This is the first time we've ever hatched chicks--I've been around hens hatching chicks, but it's the first time we've done it at our house. My instinct is that she doesn't actively not want it (I've seen hens that have truly abandoned eggs, and this isn't quite that, I don't think--at least not yet)--but more that her priority is the hatched chicks. And the first-hatched chick is sooo active, running all about. Poor Granite keeps trying to keep tabs on it without getting up, but she gets so anxious and eventually goes after it.

 

[Little Tala Bug]

My hen left the nest while a couple eggs were tapping and chirping. It was a surprise clutch that we discovered a few days away from hatch, so we didn't have time to get an incubator. Our neighbour had a heating pad for growing basil, so we put it under a cardboard box with some hemp shavings at the bottom to make a brooder if the chicks successfully hatched.

Inside the brooder we placed a thick ceramic casserole dish which we had warmed up on the oven to about 50-60C. We placed some hemp in the bottom of the casserole dish, followed by a moist paper towel, then nestled the eggs in on top of that, and covered them with another moist paper towel. We covered the whole dish with a folded cosy tea towel, and placed a hot water bottle next to the dish on either side. We also closed the brooder box and put a thick bath towel over it to trap the warmth inside

We left the eggs in there overnight, and in the morning, one had hatched and was dry and fluffy and started running around the brooder when we lifted the tea towel! The other egg had pipped and was still moving so I held it in my hands while my partner warmed the casserole dish again, got new moist paper towels, refilled the water bottles, etc. We waited a long time, and had to repeat the warming/moistening process again a couple times, but the next morning the second egg had hatched!

We waited until both babies were walking well, and then popped them in amongst their siblings the next day while momma hen was distracted with some food. She seemed none the wiser and accepted them straight away, even though it had been a couple days since she left the nest with her naturally-hatched brood.

Our two home-incubated chicks developed normally alongside their siblings, and are still wonderful, happy, healthy babies at 11 weeks. It still feels like a miracle.

 

[Little Tala Bug]

I forgot to say, we candled the eggs when she left the nest to make sure we knew where the air sacs were. We traced them with a pencil and then left the eggs on their sides with the air sacs slightly angled upwards.

It's half past 1am where I live right now, so I'm headed to bed, but feel free to ask any questions you like and I'll answer them as soon as I wake up. All the best to you and the wee eggs!!!

 

[Shadrach]

A hens natrual instinct is to leave the nest as quickly as possible, This can mean over a staggered hatch that she'll leave viable eggs behind, sometimes even partiallu hatched eggs. There are good reasons for this behaviour. One reason is if the hatch is badly staggered (it depends a lot on the hen and nest but over 48 hours is badly staggered) she knows that the last to hatch is unlikely to survive because in the wild it would be unlikely to be able to keep up with the others, fight for a place under her wings for warmth and negotiate the outside well.
Little Tala Bug has provided a realistic option if you have the time and patience. If you can provide an environment in which it can get out of it's shell and get them under mother quickly she will probably accept them.

 

[weavingpachtie]

Thanks for the advice! I left the egg with Granite while we attended an event this evening. I didn't see the responses before we went out, but I just checked, and she and her chicks (and the egg!) were where I left them. No visible pip yet, though.

 

[Little Tala Bug]

Any updates on the hatch? =)

 

[weavingpachtie]

Any updates on the hatch? =)

Yes! I checked first thing this morning and it had pipped. Granite got up and started foraging with the other two, so I brought the egg inside and watched it finish hatching over the course of the next 45m or so. It's in a makeshift brooder by my feet, fluffing and resting. It's a little chipmunk chick. Super active and vocal!