Well, we had two black orp hens sitting on eggs..one hen had several eggs under her and the other hen had several. First hen hatched 5 but the last one was weak and she abandoned it on the nest and took her little brood of 4 to the other side of the brooder box. I grabbed the lone chick and put it in with hen #2 and she took care of it immediately. Then she hatched one chick and took the chicks to the other side of the room abandoning a clutch of eggs. So I grabbed the eggs and put them in my 'bator. Hatched two chicks and as soon as they were dry and active put them under Hen #2. She is a wonderful mama. In the meantime, every morning when I go into the coop to feed and water and observe....mama hens seem to be trading off chicks or they are having "stay overs" as each mama has a different count of chicks each morning
Now one of the chicks, while hatching, seemed to be having trouble so I "helped" get it out of the egg. Mistake of course, lots of bleeding and still attached to the yolk which hadn't been absorbed yet. So I left it in 'bator. At first, it couldn't even lift it's head but I left it alone. After 2 1/2 days it was up on it's feet and cheeping loudly, that is when I took it to a mama hen.
Moral.........leave eggs alone....we have been told so many times on BYC but some of us
just can't keep our hands off. Anyway all 8 chicks seem to be doing well under mamas.
Now one of the chicks, while hatching, seemed to be having trouble so I "helped" get it out of the egg. Mistake of course, lots of bleeding and still attached to the yolk which hadn't been absorbed yet. So I left it in 'bator. At first, it couldn't even lift it's head but I left it alone. After 2 1/2 days it was up on it's feet and cheeping loudly, that is when I took it to a mama hen.
Moral.........leave eggs alone....we have been told so many times on BYC but some of us
