How long can incubating eggs stay cool?

[Peregrine]

I just discovered that one of my kids took the eggs out from under my broody hen and laid them in the grass!

How long can they stay cool before dying? The eggs are about one week along, the temp. today is about 70 degrees F, and my best guess is that they were out from under my hen for about 3-4 hours. Do I have to start all over again?

 

[Gypsy07]

The rough handling will probably have done them more harm than the lower temperature. A few hours at 70F would probably just slow down their development, but if they've been jiggled about too then some of them could well have died. But don't just chuck them out - put them back under the hen and keep your fingers crossed. Candling in a few more days should let you know which ones are still developing normally...

 

[Peregrine]

Thanks; that's good to know. I discovered that it was my 9 year old daughter--she had put them in the grass to try to get the hen to lay on them there. She's usually fairly gentle.

I heard that hens can sense if an embryo has died, and will push the egg off to the side. Is this true? So far she hasn't rejected any.

I've never been too good at candeling; when I incubate eggs inside I don't bother; i just let them all go the full 21 days, just in case.

 

[Peregrine]

My chicken's eggs started to hatch, but we ran into some difficulties...

I found one chick on the ground, dead. Not sure what happened...

I found one chick under my hen, dead. One of it's eyes looked deformed, so I don't think it was going to make it.

I found one chick the next day under my hen, dead. It really stank and was so squashed I couldn't tell if it has been deformed or not. Had to wash my hands a few times after that one.

2 eggs left to go. If they don't hatch, will she still remain broody? We've been waiting 5 weeks, now, and she's my only easter egger! Not to mention, she's not looking too good, having been sitting on the nest all the time with little to eat or drink in 95+ weather!

I sure hope they hatch today!

 

[Peregrine]

Now there's just one egg left. Not sure what happened to the other one. Saw no evidence of a chick; I even took the hen all the way out of the nest. I guess she ate it; she ate the shells from the chicks that hatched. If this last one doesn't hatch today, she's going into solitary to break her of being broody. And I wasted 3 weeks. At least she was doing all the work!

 

[floridachickhatcher]

Quote:
yes i think that is true cause our white rock hen we gave her 18 eggs last month and one morning my mom was checking on her and she saw a busted egg in the front part of the brooder coop she rolled it all the way up front and stomped on it! i guess if they dont feel movement they know its a bad egg

 

[Peregrine]

The last egg is gone, and in it's place was a dead chick.

Monday morning I checked on her, and the egg was under her just fine.
Later on, I discovered she had moved to the nest next door so that another hen could lay her egg in that nest (which the other hen did consistantly every day. I'm sure glad the eggs were marked!)
Then, after that hen had left the "hatching nest", I discovered my SUSPECTED EGG EATER in the nest, standing over a dead chick, with no sign of egg shells. Just the new egg the other hen had laid (which I quickly confiscated).

(Is there a spell-check on this website?

)

It may be possible that my egg-eater was eating the eggshells before the chicks were ready to hatch! That makes me sooooo mad! I was going to try to cure her--she's a beautiful golden color, and an EE, too! Now she's definately on her way to the chopping block!

And I STILL have a broody hen!

Thus ends my chicken saga. Tune in next time to hear me say:

"My chickens are ruining the mulch in my flower gardens!"

 

[cmom]

So Sorry...

 

[cluckygirl]

I am heart broken :-( All my we want to fo is watch the magical experience of our darling shadow hatch and raise her babies.
She sits, sits, sits and then gets off and forgets where her eggs are and sits else where!!!
Can any one give me some advice on how to make a home made incubator, I'm going crazy and think maybe I'm a broody hen at the moment I WANT BABIES!!!!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I am heart broken :-( All my we want to fo is watch the magical experience of our darling shadow hatch and raise her babies.
She sits, sits, sits and then gets off and forgets where her eggs are and sits else where!!!
Can any one give me some advice on how to make a home made incubator, I'm going crazy and think maybe I'm a broody hen at the moment I WANT BABIES!!!!

This is in the BYC learning page. Has lots of home made bator ideas and designs. Sorry to hear about all the rotten luck.