4 unhatched eggs - HELP!

[mon2405]

Hello chook whisperers! Ok so Whitey is a FTM and has 4 babies out of 10 eggs. I found 2 pipped eggs in nest but babies were dead and ants in eggs.

so sad!

and 4 eggs are unhatched. She has left the nest with the hatched babies. Should I leave the unhatched eggs in there?!

 

[TheKindaFarmGal]

The unhatched eggs probably don't have chicks. How long have they been on the nest?

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

I agree that they are probably not viable so would remove them and check them out by candling them. As she has left the nest with her hatched chicks the remaining eggs only chance is an incubator if they do still have viable chicks in them and they have not been left cold for too long.
Hens are good at knowing when hatch is complete.

Good luck with your hen and her new babies.

 

[mon2405]

There's one more baby this morning and three eggs left! It's really warm here during the day. Like 35+ degrees Celsius so I wonder if that's kept eggs warm? Is there any hope for the remaining 3? They're 22 days today. @Yorkshire Coop @TheKindaFarmGal

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Has the hen accepted the latest chick to hatch? There could always be hope for the others especially if they were added to nest after she started sitting, they could be behind on incubation. Were any more eggs added after she started sitting?

You can candle and tap the remaining eggs to check for movement or any chirping from them.

 

[mon2405]

They were all added at once so it's really weird! She accepted the other chick so I imagine it may have hatched last night while the little family was in the nesting box for the night. I'll see what happens tonight I think and then get rid of the remaining eggs tomorrow maybe. Thanks so much @Yorkshire Coop

 

[kconley]

When I have eggs left when a hen has hatched some, I try to have an incubator going as back up. Sometimes eggs will hatch and others will be a day or so behind. The hen will leave the nest with her chicks and not return to the rest.

Candle them to see if there is anything inside the egg. Dark eggs mean embryos. Put them in the incubator and if they hatch, you may be able to put them with the other chicks and the hen. Watch them though! Some hens will attack any chick added after the initial batch, even if they were from her nest.