Day 23 with broody

[Ais]

My broody was sitting on 3 eggs, one hatched yesterday on day 22, this morning I checked her and she was sitting about a foot away from where she made her nest. No eggs left in the nest. I felt under her (without lifting her) and the eggs were still whole. The temperature here went from being dry and 80s to wet and 50s over the weekend and then dry and 60s yesterday. I’ve heard change in humidity and temperature can impact hatching. My questions are: why would she move her eggs and I keep reading about helping/not helping chicks by making a tiny hole in the egg - should I do this? Is day 23 too late?

Also, she is separated safely from the rest of the flock, so no other bird bothered her into moving.

Thanks to anyone for any advice.

 

[Kiki]

Do not make a whole in an egg.
Have you candled them to make sure they actually developed?

 

[Ais]

Hope the last one hatches for you.

Sadly, it did not, and mama decided it was time to move on. However, she hatched two beautiful little ones and I am so proud of her!

 

[wrathsfarm]

No, leave her be for a couple more days. She should know when to get off the nest of eggs to take the chicks out for food.

As @Kiki posted, you could candle the eggs.

 

[SilverBirds]

April 1st.

Then today is day 22. You count day 1 24 hours after she started sitting.

 

[Ais]

Oh ok. So they aren’t that late then. Thanks!

 

[Kiki]

Ok, I’ve never candled an egg before. All I have is a big flashlight or my phone flashlight… not sure either would work. Also not sure if moving an egg out from under mama at this point would hurt it?

Thank you all for the info.

Phone will work if you take the egg in to a dark room...closet.

 

[wrathsfarm]

Did you check the old nest? It is a little odd but not unheard of.
And a couple days late past hatch day is completely normal with temp/humidity changes.

Candling would be your best advise to see if any are still active, but again a hen instinctively knows when to get up and take her babies out.

 

[SilverBirds]

Yes, the old nest is empty. She literally just moved about 10 inches to the right.

I didn't realize in your original post that she already had a chick hatch. When my broodies hatch they've always moved a little away from the original nest site.

 

[SilverBirds]

Moving the remaining eggs also?
Op states 1 hatched. Broody moved but took 2 eggs with her. Seems odd to me....

Yes, almost every single broody I've had has moved spots after some of the chicks have hatched. I'm not sure if it's because the chicks started moving around and she tried to cover them or something else.