Suggestions?

[Sylviaanne]

My broody was off her nest today and I was counting the eggs, I hated to do it but the nest smelled soooo bad that I brought in another 5 eggs and washed them off and put them in the incubator. 3 are moving inside, one looks like it hasn't started incubating yet and the last one looks bad inside. That last one was tucked inside the shell of another egg that had gotten broken. I tried washing them with plain water, very warm but not hot, but the stuff wouldn't come off. I put them in a very warm bowl of soapy water and let them soak while I cleaned the others and then took a scrubby pad (plastic) to get off the stuff I couldn't peel or scratch off with my nails. Then I put them in the incubator to rest for a while. Later I checked them and that is when I found 3 of them moving around in there.

I am wondering if I should go ahead and bring the others in, out of the nest, put the fake eggs under her and slip the babies under her when they hatch. What does everyone think? I am also thinking about changing the nest lining but I'm afraid she won't go back to the eggs if I do. That she will stop being broody.

She is on about day 16 and I have already removed 6 eggs almost a week ago but there are more in there than there should be. There should be 8 and there was 12.

 

[The Chickeneer]

Sneaking them under her would be best. Make sure to do it at night. Do it one at a time and wait like 5 minutes between each one. Some hens are smart and if you give them all the chicks at once, they don't believe they're theirs and will peck at them.

I wouldn't change the nest lining until a day after she has accepted her chicks.

Hope this helps, good luck!

 

[Sylviaanne]

Sneaking them under her would be best. Make sure to do it at night. Do it one at a time and wait like 5 minutes between each one. Some hens are smart and if you give them all the chicks at once, they don't believe they're theirs and will peck at them.

I wouldn't change the nest lining until a day after she has accepted her chicks.

Hope this helps, good luck!

Are you sure? It is really rank. I wanted to vomit just taking the eggs out of the nest.

So, you think it might be a good idea to take the other eggs and put fake eggs under her?

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

If it stinks that bad, I would clean it out. If she decides she's done sitting, you just have to brood any chicks that hatch yourself. Which isn't so bad

Good luck with whatever you decide to do!

 

[Sylviaanne]

She got off the nest to eat, drink and poo so I took advantage of the situation to give her a clean nest. I didn't clean the eggs. I thought that if she didn't sit back on the eggs, I'd bring them in, wash them and put them in the incubator. She was a good girl and sat back on them.

One of her eggs that I had previously brought in the house has hatched, the eggs she is sitting on are not hatched yet and as far as I can tell there is no pipping yet.

Does anyone know how old a chick is when a sitting hen won't accept it? Like if it is 3 or 4 days before the rest of them hatch, will she still accept this one?