Overnight 2 eggs from our 2nd lot hatched (weren't due until Friday 16/11). There was a lot of blood in one of the discarded eggs and one of the babies was dead this morning and the mother isn't feeding the other one very well, it only has a small amount of food in it's crop. I have just checked again and another egg has hatched (2 more to go). Do I let her continue to try and feed them and hope she gets the hang of it or try something else? It is her first clutch she is 15 months and the cock is 13 months.

 

My problem is that I can foster them to a fantastic hen, who feeds really well, but she already has 5 hatched from her own clutch. How many chicks is to many for her to have?

The blood in the discarded eggshell seems to indicate an early hatching or parental interference. If an early hatching it was destined to not survive. Anytime you see a chick not being well fed in its first few days, feed it yourself but do it quickly and put it back under the hen. Once it is stronger and yells louder for food she will work it out.

The hen ,that is a good feeder,take one of her`s & put with the other hen & put her

chick with the good hen& let her feed it.You should`nt have 2chicks hatching on the same day,

Are you take eggs from other hens & puting them under the 1 hen,