The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: mintytwoshoes on June 06, 2015, 10:54:00 am
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Hi - need some advice - I have four hens sitting on eggs together - not intentional!! - we are now at hatch date and I know from the empty shells that two hatched yesterday but no sign of chicks. This morning I found another dead in the pen outside the hutch, quite pecked.
I lost my two broodies due to age last month so the hens sitting are very new to the hatching game. Has anyone experienced a broody attacking the chicks when they have hatched?
I do have the incubator ready and my thoughts are to remove the eggs at night and rear them without the hens input but I really would prefer the natural way.
Appreciate any advice !
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We had an Orpington sitting on 10 eggs. On hatch day there were suddenly only 4 eggs left and one dead chick and we concluded she had eaten them all. The remaining eggs went into the incubator and we saved 2 chicks as a result. We never used her as a broody again.
My advice would be to remove the eggs to the incubator immediately Minty and be prepared to rear them separately.
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same as above had orpington with 10 eggs, she hatched 10 out of 10 but seemed to have killed 2
maybe they where tooweak andcould be natures way of keeping the strongest going, she was also first time hatcher
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Thanks - I have managed to tempt the broodies out with some tasty bits - some of the eggs are now in the incubator - I have not been able to get them all but I am on the case. Thanks for the advice it confirmed what I was thinking.
This forum is brilliant!! Will let you know what we manage to get hatched!!
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Hi minty :wave:
Good luck, mojo
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Four broodies on the same eggs? Fighting between them - chicks get killed or eggs smashed in the aftermath! Hope you get the remaining ones hatched out :fc:
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Divide the remaining eggs between the hens and put them in separate places (boxes) so they can't fight over the chicks, or put them all under one and put her somewhere the others can't get to. Don't be afraid to just pick them up and move them: they will complain and possibly peck (wear thick gloves perhaps if you're worried about that) but if the eggs are piping, they'll settle again very quickly.
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Just to clarify - they all have their separate eggs - but they are all in together in the hutch in their own areas.
It is a valid point that if one has hatched they might all want to have the chick! Thank you for advice.
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Hi Mojo Good to hear from you - hope everything is good with you and yours.
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Hi - thanks for advice - have two live chicks from the incubator and under heat now- hopefully more soon.
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Hi Everyone - just to give you an update we are up to thirteen chicks - so thank you everyone for the advice!!