poppy ben grace Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 (edited) Hi all, yet another posting you must all be gettin fed up with me! I have an egg under the broody hen that still hasnt piped but i can hear it chirping. The other chicks were hatched yesterday and today so my broody is getting ready to leave the nesting area. She is shut in at the mo but i will have to let her out tomorrow. Can i help this chick, if so how? Or should i put it in the incubator as i am worried the hen will leave it as she has 8 other chicks to look after. Thanks for reading, any ideas would be greatfully recieved! Edited September 11, 2011 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 I'd leave it under her tonight, it will soon be too dark for her to venture out with the chicks anyway If its still hot hatched then pop it in the inccy and if it hatches then pop it under her tomorrow night once its dark There are different schools of thought on helping chicks out, I never try it if they havent pipped, if they havent pipped there is usually a reason for it and you could remove the chick too early. the danger being that it wont have absorbed the yolk I am a lot more strict with this sort of situation now and unless I feel I have done something wrong with the incubator settings which may lead to the chick having problems beyond the natural process I no longer tend to help, there is usually a reason why the chick doesnt make it out of the egg and usually its because its not a healthy specimen - other people will try regardless though but many 'helped' chicks die Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy ben grace Posted September 9, 2011 Author Share Posted September 9, 2011 Thankyou again! I looked in and it has started to pip so hopefully will hatch tonight so good news there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy ben grace Posted September 11, 2011 Author Share Posted September 11, 2011 Well i checked sat morning and the egg had rolled out from Beryl and was cold! I picked it up and it was chirping so popped it in the inci and it hatched within 3 hours! Then later on at dusk i put the little thing in with Beryl and the others and all is well. Phew, what a weekend but all seems well and mum and babies seem happy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
