Eglu Go With 2m Run For Sale

[clucky clarke's]

Hi Everyone,

 

We are very sad in our house tonight . Wendy our welsummers was busy sitting on some eggs and she was 3 days off hatch day. However, she has just stood up to get off the nest, walked outside where she has flopped onto her side. We have checked and double checked but she is died. We are very sad but think she must have neglected herself. We have followed guidelines and she has had access to water, food and been off the nest every day for at least an hour. We are absolutely gutted, it's our 1st chicken death. Has this happened to anyone else?

 

We are also concerned about what we can do with the eggs ...is there anything we can do to try and keep the eggs going 3 more days?

 

Thanks kelly, vince and jack

[Raina]

Hi,

 

Sorry for your loss

 

Could she have been egg bound, i've read on some other chicken forums that a hen will appear broody when she's egg bound (will stay on the nest box all the time)

 

 

Hope that made some sense,

 

 

Raina

[Redwing]

You need to get the eggs in an incubator asap

 

What a terrible shame

[tom123]

So sorry to hear it

 

You need to pop them in an incubator asap as redwing said.

[The Dogmother]

Sory to hear that - hens have weka hearts, so they sometimes do that. If they are brooding, then you need to pop them off the nest a coupl eof times a day to feed and drink.

 

Pop the eggs in your top against your skin to keep them warm until you can get hold of an incubator.

[likeabalalaika]

I'm so sorry, that's so, so sad and upsetting for you. I hope you find an incubator soon. xxx

[Lewis]

I'm sorry

As others have said, you need to keep the eggs warm, be it in an inbubator, heat lamp or your own body heat. This late into the hatch I'd think there's more of a chance for the chicks.

Let us know how they get on.

[clucky clarke's]

Hi Everyone,

 

Thank you for all your kind replies . The eggs are now under a heat lamp, so we all have our fingers crossed . Should be hatch day tomorrow or saturday. I will keep you posted. We have found the cause of the problem.....bloody red spider mites. I found one on the eggs today. I bet they cause Wendy to go anaemic leading to her death. Any quick fixes for getting rid of red spider mite?

 

Also, should we crack the shells if nothing happens to try and help the chick out ?

 

Thanks again

 

kelly

[The Dogmother]

Please DON'T crack the eggs to help them out - this will kill the chicks. They need warmth and humidity at the moment. You will also need a brooder for when they hatch, plus all the feed etc you'd usually have.

 

I think you mean red mites rather than red spider mites, which are quite different. Did you treat the coop and dust the hen before you set the eggs?

 

You'll need to strip the housing down, scrub it with Poultry Shield, allow it to dry in the sun, then dust it liberally with Diatom before you pu tit bacjk together again.

 

Good luck with the eggs, make sure that they have enough humidity to hatch.

[Redwing]

Claret is right you'll need to get the humidity up, try putting the eggs in a sandwich box with some damp kitchen roll round the edges (not touching, under or over the eggs) then putting the lid on the top but not ON, maybe at 90 degrees so the bulk of the box is covered with a gap each end (as the eggs need ventilation) that might get the humidity up a bit, still keep everything under the lamp

 

The hatch of the first chick should up humidity a bit, if possible put everything in a deep plastic storage box (the smaller the better) so it is more humid down near the eggs, air from all around will cool and dry the eggs

 

When you see them pip don't intervene unless you can see the membrane in the hole getting dry, if it does gently pick up the egg and wrap it in a damp warm flannel for a minute then place gently back in or gently drop warm water from a bit of kitchen roll on the dry membrane

 

All the very best x

Edited July 30, 2009 by Guest

[mrsallen08]

So sorry to hear about your poor hen.

for the little chicks to be okay.

[cathybc]

sorry to hear about your girl x

[clucky clarke's]

Claret is right you'll need to get the humidity up, try putting the eggs in a sandwich box with some damp kitchen roll round the edges (not touching, under or over the eggs) then putting the lid on the top but on ON, maybe at 90 degrees so the bulk of the box is covered with a gap each end (as the eggs need ventilation) that might get the humidity up a bit, still keep everything under the lamp

 

The hatch of the first chick should up humidity a bit, if possible put everything in a deep plastic storage box (the smaller the better) so it is more humid down near the eggs, air from all around will cool and dry the eggs

 

When you see them pip don't intervene unless you can see the membrane in the hole getting dry, if it does gently pick up the egg and wrap it in a damp warm flannel for a minute then place gently back in or gently drop warm water from a bit of kitchen roll on the dry membrane

 

All the very best x

 

 

Thanks for this advice . Our eggs are now sat in a lunch box surrounded by wet kitchen roll. Fingers crossed it wil work .

 

Kelly.x

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Clucky Clarke's, I'm sitting here hoping and for a happy outcome.

 

Lots of love & warm humid {{hugs }} coming your way and for the Babies-to-be

 

Sha x

[Lewis]

As said before don't help them, it can take hours for them to hatch and you risk hitting a blood vessel.

 

Good luck

[teri]

sorry to hear of your loss. i'm keeping everything crossed for your chicks. i hope they stay safe. well done for everything you are doing for them x

[Raina]

I'm That the eggs are safe

 

 

Oh and any news yet

[craftyhunnypie]

Any luck with the hatch yet?

 

Emma.x

[clucky clarke's]

Please DON'T crack the eggs to help them out - this will kill the chicks. They need warmth and humidity at the moment. You will also need a brooder for when they hatch, plus all the feed etc you'd usually have.

 

I think you mean red mites rather than red spider mites, which are quite different. Did you treat the coop and dust the hen before you set the eggs?

 

You'll need to strip the housing down, scrub it with Poultry Shield, allow it to dry in the sun, then dust it liberally with Diatom before you pu tit bacjk together again.

 

Good luck with the eggs, make sure that they have enough humidity to hatch.

 

Hello,

 

Thank you to everyone who has replied, the support and advice has been great . The eggs are nicely warm under the lamp in the humid lunch box. Fingers crossed .

 

Thank you Claret for your advice about dealing with the red mites. We have applied powder to all the girls and sprayed poultry shield everywhere in the house and dusted with diatom. Do i need to withdraw the eggs with poultry shield or diatom?

 

I will keep you all posted on any hatching news

 

Thanks again, kelly.x

[The Dogmother]

No Kelly, you're fine with both of those products.

[Phosphorus]

Keep an eye on that house over the next week. You really need to be vigilant with red mite infestation - especially if you are going to use the house for the chicks - red mite can lie dormant for weeks and then re launch itself onto the chicks. Young chicks can die from red mite as a broody

 

If you aren't using the house at the moment that is even better - is it an eglu or regular wood?

 

I had red mite in with my broody, only small infestation - I had dusted! Found once the chicks had hatched and I was cleaning out. It took a good while to go as chicks and mum still in eglu. In the end I emptied bedding out every day for 3 days and completely stripped eglu - sprayed with poultry shield in all the cracks, diatomed everywhere with a vengence and put in red mite powder. After a few days I wasn't seeing any more mites (they loved to hide under the droppings tray). I then went to clearing and attacking after 3 or so days and we were clear again. Left it a week next time and still clear! We have now been clear for a good while - you really have to attack it with vengence.

 

I would keep spraying every day with poultry shield in all the cracks for a few days, even if house is vacant. Diatom is great as well - it will dry out when wet and carry on working.

 

Good luck and so sorry for your broody , that was one of my biggest fears when discovered my visitiors!