X-Post Day 21, Pull eggs from broodie with chicks ?

[Indigohills7]

Hi this is a crosspost. I also posted to the Valentine's Day thread.

Here is where I could use some advice:


Set 12 eggs under my broodie Buff Orph on 1/23 Friday. Two smashed early on. I never candled since they were all mixed brown shells.

As of this morning 4 hatched, but 6 are just lying there ... hen just pooped about 4" roll, which I took out of the nest box. She is tending to get off nest now and take chicks to water ?? Leaves the 6 cooling off a bit.

Today is day 21. One egg, I think, died this week when she kicked it out of the nest and I didn't find it right away. But I am surprised that the others aren't pipping or rocking or anything.

Should I pull the remaining eggs and put them on a washclothe with a heat lamp ?

Any ideas, welcome, since I just put her back on her nest and tucked her babies under her wing. Just peeked at her and she is off the box and feeding and drinking with her chicks. Hope she goes back on.

Thanks, Eileen

 

[ghulst]

To prevent the hen from moving lock her up or remove the chicks until all are hatched. Have done it for years.

 

[Indigohills7]

I think that I waited too long to pull those last eggs. However, she only began leaving them this afternoon. I don't have any smell. But, when I reached in to collect them, my finger broke one shell. The membrane is still intact, so I left it.

Didn't know what to do, so I put all 6 on a wet washcloth, in a bowl, under a 125W shoplight.

Help ??

 

[Indigohills7]

Ghulst, she is in a dog cage in my unheated garden room currently since it's snowing outside. Do you think the lack of activity is something to worry about ?

I noticed another rather big cat-like poop in the nest box. It's as if she's been saving the poop for 3 weeks and is now ready to move on.