Eglu Cube Coop For Sale

[peelypost]

Hi all,

 

First post here - feeling rather anxious.

 

We've had one of our hens incubating four eggs, and we have 18 others in the incubator. Our Light Sussex hen, Snowy, has, today, crushed two of the four eggs, just as they started pipping. One is certainly dead, the other we have removed and put into the incubator and have little hope.

 

What should we do? Is this common? - I can't find reference to it on the forums, but then searching for 'eggs' 'hens' etc. is not too helpful!

 

Obviously this is happening right now - Sat 1 May. Any tips would be MOST welcome!

 

Thanks! x

[Redwing]

I take it that Snowy is the broody (as opposed to a different hen?) did she damage the eggs on purpose or is she just clumsy?

 

If she is just clumsy but still intent on sitting it may be worth leaving her with the two remaining eggs or remove them all to the inccy and consider removing a chick or two to her after dark - this needs close monitoring as they dont always take to chicks

 

If she is fed up with the whole thing then remove them all

[peelypost]

Thanks.

 

yes - Snowy is the broody.

 

We think that she's just trodden on them. She's still there sitting on the others. We're going to remove the eggs to the incubator, replace with some non-fertiles, and then swap for chicks later.

 

Any thoughts?

[Redwing]

That sounds like n excellent plan

 

Large heavy fowl make clumsy broodies but that doesnt make them bad mums just monitor those chicks closely until you are happy that she has taken to them

 

Make sure the chicks are dry and mobile before putting them under as if she does kick them out there is more chance that they will survive until you spot them

[Mars]

Light sussex are clumsy mothers especially when young. I put the 24 hours old chicks under light sussex even when they do that and they never killed any chicks, they loose many of them in very cold weather but not in spring or summer, just put the chicks under her at night, I once put more than 20 chicks under a light sussex after she smashed 2 or 3 eggs, and they were fine, it is helpful if she hears a chick cheeping before you move the chicks under her to turn her from incubation mood to protective mood, I put a pipping egg from the incubator under her "running the risk of loosing that chick"

[peelypost]

They're hatching slowly.

 

Out of 20 -

 

2 crushed

1 oozed after pipping, and no more action

 

5 chicks

1 well on its way

2 pipped

9 waiting for action

 

we'll try putting some under our broody hen tonight and let you know