[rosie14]

Hi all this is my first ever hatch under a broody to get this far please give me some advice.

I did hear some cheeping yesterday morning and by 8pm when I lifted hen there was one hatchling undried and dead and 3 more pipping (shells broken around the middle with broken membranes) another has hatched overnight is also dead but dry this time.

2The 2 others are still sounding strong but are no further, I have broken a little shell off and found them to be virtually dry inside and no blood at all. I have left them other wise.

I am unsure if I should help them a little more as it's been so long, my concern is they have dried out too much inside to rotate and excape from shell. They are Silkies under my big fluffy Orpie!!  The 6 other big eggs appear to be doing nothing just now.

PLEASE ADVISE ME as I am out soon and will be for some time. Thanks x

[Jo57]

Good luck. Sorry I can't offer advice but know what you are going through. I can't believe how stressful/exciting I found it all and more due next week. Hope you get a result

[rosie14]

Jo57 thanks so much  I'm hoping leaving them a few more hours whilst I'm out will be ok as they sound strong to me, just worried it has been so long. You get such differing advice it's hard being so inexperienced knowing what to do and when to intervene! 12 hours seems like a long time maybe it's normal under a hen, most advice seems to be about artificial hatching!

[Jo57]

My one chick is 3 weeks now. The other 5 eggs were duds. When it hatched a saw a crack on Thursday night, Friday morning there was more broken and I could see chick but was not completely out and then home from work Friday it was there and almost completely fluffy. It is worrying to have those which died. I hope the last 2 silkies make it. And then you'll have the others to worry about. ....

[Sassy]

I would advise leaving nature to its own devices. Generally more harm is done if you start picking at the shell. I do understand what you are going through and hope it all works out.

ps 12 hours is not such a long time. The hen will help if she deems it necessary.

[Casey76]

Please DO NOT disturb mum any more.

I'm sorry to say this, but you may have endangered those eggs which were pipped

I know it is terribly exciting, and you want to see the chicks as soon as possible, but sit on your hands and let mum deal with it.

Did you put bantam eggs as well as LF eggs under her?  That could be a bit of a problem, because bantams can hatch earlier than LF.

Stop lifting mum off now.  Leave the door open so she can get off the nest if she wants to, but it is possible she will sit until the LF eggs hatch, which may be another 3 days or so.

You should have small shavings as your bedding, and have a chick waterer and a saucer of chick crumbs in the coop with mum.  This way she won't have to move to eat and drink, and any early hatchers will also be able to eat and drink (though remember that hatchlings do not need food or water for up to 72 hours after hatching )

[rosie14]

hello all thanks so much, I am worrying I know (the trouble from reading too much) which is why I mentioned the rotation thing and being too dry. I was thinking little Pekins and big hot mama Orpie 'oh no she's drying them out too much she's too big' ....thinking too much do you think? lol!

I have been lifting her am and pm only and only did so last night in my usual routine for her. I set the eggs under her 3 weeks ago last night but didn't expect her to have any hatch until today. I have not lifted any further but I did go out this morning to check on things and had a little feel under her wings that's all (but appreciate that may indeed be too much, my bad) which is how I found the dead chick and checked the 2 at the front which I could feel (the others are well under her so I left them). I did pick a little shell just from one of them (both were at the same stage last night at 8pm hence worry!) and left the membranes but on a torn area I could see it was rather dry.

I answer to your Q. I have 6 Sikies under her (2 dead, 4 remaining) and 6 mixed larger breeds but not LF (Light Sussex, Copper Maran and another breed all crossed with Indian game cock). I decided against candling this time so have no idea how many to expect from 12 eggs.

She is in a large hutch with a large darkened end with aviary wire (good job too as the Magpies can hear the chicks cheeping and are way too interested-blooming things!) her food and water are 3 foot away from her maybe should I put them within reach then now?

Thanks so much for listening to my little dramas and silly worries, but I do really apreciate it all and the comments, advice and info. given, now to go sit on my hands  x

[joyfull]

the larger breeds are classed as large fowl so may not hatch until after day 21. Day 21 is an average and they can often take until day 24 or even later.

[rosie14]

Hi Joyfull, thanks for that, I didn't realise all 'normal' size choocks were indeed LF I stupidly thought it was the large breeds such as Orpingtons, yet another thing to have been learnt from everyone here:)

I hope this time factor isn't going to be a problem hmmm wait and see I guess id all I can do 

Just spied on her as heard heaps of cheeping and one little partly dried yellow chick is out of its shell and 1/2 emerged under her wing but is still curled round and trying to stretch out I think in readyness to stand and fluff up, I gather this can also take time (groan!!)

As I checked on her at 8pm and 3 were pipped what would you consider an appropriate time to have a proper inspection/check in case need to intervene. I've read about chicks being too tired to get out or being stuck to dry shells etc. I've read 12 hours up to 48 hours but unsure about times for broody's as opposed to artificial hatching.

[joyfull]

Please leave her well alone (make sure she has access to chick crumb and water - although often she and the chicks will go without anything for a few days). She will bring them out when she is ready and if she has eggs that are still viable (she will be able to feel them) then she will go back and sit on them after a short time. However if she goes back into her coop and sits away from the eggs it will mean she has given up on them and they will need removing.

[splash101]

when my broody hatched hers, i checked in the morning and 2 had hatched, (they were pipping from the night before) i didnt check on her until later that eve when closing everyone up (and by check i mean discretely looking in through the door to check she was ok) thats when i found the dead chick (the dead one had hatched sometime later in the day)
I didnt lift her, she had a small pot of food and water in there. She had other eggs under her and i dont know if they had hatched.
I think it was the next day when she came out, for a well earned stretch and the 2 chicks followed. The remainder of the eggs didnt hatch.

I'm not sure any intervention would be necessary with a broody hen. Even when we hatched with an incubator we dont intervene.

[rosie14]

Thanks all, just bought the chick crumb, I didn't bother before now in case we had a failed hatch like last time. Fingers crossed all goes well 

[Jo57]

Just in from work and straight on here to see how you and your brood are doing! I know it is so hard waiting and wondering. Now better go out to see how my lot are doing.....

[rosie14]

lol jo57 you are as bad as me it seems! Hmmm well at 2pm spied again and saw the little 1/2 dried one out on the newspapered area. I though it too was dead but it was breathing just. I picked it up and it was very cold and seemed barely alive, not cheeping, eyes never opened... nothing. I immediately put it into my top on my chest and pondered what to do.

Rightly or wrongly, scald me if you wish I made the decision to bring it inside and take over. I put the heating on, warmed some of my guiea pigs' fleece blankets on it then made a little nest, it soon dried and fluffed, in the meantime I got the GP's snuggle safe heat pad covered it in fleece and put it into a box whilst I went to get my children from school.

I picked up my children spoke to the teacher who raises her own chicks both ways and she advised me taking it away and putting it in the brooder would give the little thing the best chance but it was a case of wait and see. I raced home to organise things it was cheeping again and had its eyes open yay. Now for the really weird bit. When I opened the back door into the conserveratory I heard cheeping  the 'dead' chick from this morning was alive but much the state of the other except fluffed (was like that am) 8am-4pm in a nappy bag  made me wonder if I should have left the other one where it was on the paper but it really was away from the nest and what I would consider not in a good state and cold, maybe the warmth of the conserveratory brought the other one back to life so to speak?

I now have a 2x2 foot wooden box lined with towels as a brooder box with heat lamp, chick crumb, water dish with pebbles set up with 2 small fluffy yellow chicks and everything is crossed for them to make it. I will keep you posted.

[kegs]

I can't stand these threads that keep you in suspense all day! 

Keeping my fingers firmly crossed.