ORCatnChickenMom
Chirping
- Jun 20, 2018
- 10
- 21
- 59
Have a broody Buff Orp that I could not convince to go back to laying so I bought a dozen eggs from a local egg seller who has a rooster. The dozen wouldn't fit under Ms. Broody Betty, so I stuck 8 under her. Well, in the first weeks 3 eggs were lost to breakage; 5 remained under her. By Day 21 there was NO action. So I waited and read many of the insightful comments and input provided by other tenders of chickens on this website -- thanks for sharing your experiences. So I waited. By Day 24 one egg pipped and the chick finally emerged by Day 26 (seems a long time). I was overjoyed and went out to buy chick starter and a single Wyandotte chick to keep the new hatchling company (since the other eggs looked dead, which I later confirmed and they were all yolk, no partial chicks). Upon arriving home I was shocked to find the chick wasn't under Betty in the coop, but lying in the dirt in the pen. It looked like it had been disemboweled, but then I noticed the yellow yolk and blood and wondered if it was un-absorbed egg sack. Well, MANY THANKS again to ALL you members who take time to post so many informational posts and photos about un-absorbed eggs sacks, late term pipping, etc.; you helped me with this experience. So, now I'm curious what the average percentage of success is with eggs hatched under a hen vs. an incubator. Is it common that so many eggs aren't fertilized even with a rooster and is the un-absorbed egg sack a common deformity with chicks? The man who sold the chicks told me he had a Phoenix rooster and Wyandotte hens; is it more difficult for mixed species to have successful hatchlings? Unfortunately my attempts to clean and keep the chick warm didn't help and the chick passed on this morning. I have so many questions about raising chicks from eggs.