Hen leaves remaining eggs after 1st two hatch - dispose or wait?

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kiwihunter8

kiwihunter8

In the Brooder
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I made a mistake with my broody hen - I received 2 fertilized eggs from a friend, and put them under her. Then two days later I received 4 more and put those under her. At the time, I didn't understand that the hen waits for the whole clutch and then starts sitting on them (correct?)

So the first two hatched yesterday, a day early, and she was out and and about with the chicks in the coop when I got home from work today. I moved them all to a temporary brooder pen about an hour ago, along with the unhatched eggs. She's setting on them again, but when I moved them they were cold.

Should I assume these are now dead and get rid of them (I don't want them to cause an unhealthy situation in the brooder pen)...or should I wait a couple more days? I'm thinking they were cold enough that she hadn't been on there for awhile.

Thanks for any advice!
 
Oh this is something that I had to deal with but before I say anything are the last lot of eggs from a :)relatively small hen :)
 
Not small hens, but the egg size was medium, as a comparison to grocery store eggs. The hens the eggs came from are in their first year of laying. She was either a RIR or a Plymouth Rock - the eggs may be from either of two hens.
 
Last edited:
Thanks. Candled and no movement. Did the float test and had a sinker and 3 viable eggs according to the test. One even moved on it's own in the water so I think that at least one is partially alive at this point.
 
Ok so the reason o asked fpr the egh size was because in my experience that smaller eggs hatch a day or two earlier than the medium and larger ones but you could just chance it
 
At this point if i found 1 that was possibly alive i would give it another day as long as she's staying on them and see what happens.
 
We have a new baby chick today, and the last two are hatching as I post this! So if they all get out of the egg it'll be a hatch rate of 80%...good job for the first time Mama hen!
 

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