2 days to first hatch- advice please

[elmwood]

Hi all,

Well we are on day 19, and our broody has done a fantastic job sitting tight. Am feeding mama hen chick crumb as of yesterday.

I have noticed that she seems more eager to leave the nest box for longer periods yesterday and today. She got off for around 20 mins about 3x throughout the day. I have had a peep at the eggs, all warm and nothing apparent happening.

So is this normal, and ok?

Also, if we do get some chicks, (please), do we leave mama to get on with it all?

Do we remove shells or non hatched eggs etc.....and do we intervene at all if the chicks appear to be struggling to get out of the shell?

When can we expect them to start Pipping?

We are making a run for them this weekend, in anticipation of the chicks actually hatching.... have very much left nature to do its best.... none have been candled.

Any advice would be most welcome for us, and I can't tell you how exciting this all is. Just hope to goodness, we get at least one fertile/chick out of them all for the mama hens sake!

 

[Davidd]

Hi, it is normal for the hen to get off for longer nearing the hatch- they lose weight and are weaker the longer they sit- just leave her alone, the eggs will be fine- by this stage they hold their own heat longer and in this weather the hen will get off even more- she will sit tight once they start pipping. They can pip at 19 days but most will start at day 21- please leave the broody to do her job- try not to disturb her- on day 22 you can have a quick look under her to see how things are going- only then remove the shells and don't try to help any out- she will bring them off after a day or two- then you can put them in a coop/run with some chick crumbs and a low drinker ( one which they can't drown in)
Do you have a cockerel if they are your eggs? or did you buy them as fertile hatching eggs?
regards, David

 

[elmwood]

Hi David,

Thankyou so much for your comprehensive advice and help. Thats cleared everything up for me. Regards the eggs, we sourced them from our Poultry lady, Susie Page, who kindly asked if our broody could sit on 4 for her, and the other two are for us. So we hope to possibly have 4 Polands and 2 Pekins. We didn't pay for them, we decided that our poor broody needed to sit especially as she had gone broody three times in a 6wks and we hadn't the heart to break her again. We also have the reassurance that if any turn out to be boys, Susie will re-home them on her smallholding.

I will leave Lavender to sit now, in peace. I have been removing her so that she can have a break, and YES she does look weak. I thought her left leg seemed a little lame earlier. She feels like feathers and bone..... I just hope all comes good for her.

Thankyou Sharron

 

[elmwood]

Hi,

A black "poland" chick has arrived!!

Could see its cone, admittedly some distance from the broody coop, and with binoculars- but we have our first chick! So exciting, and mama is still sitting tight...... 5 more to go??

Feel so terribly proud of our Lavender........