[SaraDavies]

Hi, can anyone tell me why our Light Sussex pushed out her egg that was pipped?  Egg has now hatched and we have an orphan on our hands and having to attempt raising it with heat lamp.

[HesterF]

No but I had a broody that freaked out when her eggs started to hatch. I was fiddling about with them too so I put it down to that but maybe some are just happy to sit and less happy to cope with hatching? In our case it ended with two lost chicks so I'm not sure about letting her sit again next year.

H

[chrismahon]

May be inexperience SaraDavies. Broodies need to be 2 years old otherwise there may be problems. We had a 15 month old Buff Orpington eat the chicks as they pipped- broke the shell to get them. We lost 6 and hatched to remainder in our incubator.


You need to find your orphan a companion quickly. You will be stuck with the heat lamp unfortunately as the weather is turning colder and chicks will need some heat until fully feathered at about 4 months.

[ellied]

When I had one sitting, the one hatched chick was lying away from the hen who was oblivious and focused entirely on the eggs - if doganjo hadn't happened to be visiting and take a look at that time it'd have been dead.  I moved the clutch and chick to a more secure location and a second one pipped a couple days later but she kept pushing it out and focusing on the rest - dud eggs and live chick.  I didn't have alternatives, had never had a broody before, so just kept putting it back but the poor wee thing died as I didn't know whether to help it or if that would make more problems     With hindsight, since she took the chick on, I would have helped the chick out of the shell and popped it under once standing, but I had a vague recollection I shouldn't and I couldn't remember why..

Good luck with your orphan - mine is now nearly 17 weeks and out with the flock, tho she doesn't roost or eat with them yet she's scratching and resting among them during the day.  She'd be 26 weeks on 19 December so I'm wondering if I'll get a first egg laid under the holly bush or behind the ivy on the wall.. 

[SaraDavies]

Thank you.  Chick survived the night and is drinking when offered. We are keeping eye on the remaining egg that hen is sitting on.  We wondered if she may be too young as we heard that about geese.