Any chance a giant cache of eggs is still fertile?

[CHICKEN BUFF]

We've got a 28-week old Easter Egger, "Silver", who's been escaping the chicken yard to visit the dog yard every day. The dogs are seldom in the yard (they're with us in the house) but when they're out, they're unconcerned with Silver's presence, and vice versa. We have 30 chickens and she's the only one who does this. She spends quite a bit of time there, a few times a day (the worm hunting is particularly good there). We've decided to overlook her eccentricity.

This morning we stumbled upon a cache of 20 blue eggs! We have good reason to believe them fertile -- Silver mates with Earl, our rooster, almost daily -- but the weather's been extremely hot and she isn't brooding them, just collecting them.

Are they any good? Should we gather them up and get rid of them? Or hope Silver will start brooding?

PS - we do have a couple of large Cochins that seem to want to sit on eggs -- all eggs, everyone's eggs -- although I wouldn't say they're in full broody mode just right now.

Help!

 

[chickluvinfreak]

I dont have experience hatching eggs so I'm defiantly not a expert. But since they haven't been sat on and you don't know how old they are you should probably throw them out. If you really want chicks it probably won't hurt to let the cochin try hatching them. I would just worry about the chicks hatching weak or diseased from the rough start. Could you candle them or break one open maybe to see if their developing?

 

[CHICKEN BUFF]

Candling is a good idea --- don't know why I didn't think of it (duh!). I'll check them out first, see if any are developing. If not, I'll let these eggs go and then ban Silver from the dog yard!

If some are developing, I'll put them under a Cochin and see if she'd like to sit. Honestly, the Cochins are hovering over our duck eggs, and any chicken's eggs, as well as their own. They're almost ridiculously interested in eggs, so maybe they'll sit.

 

[chickluvinfreak]

Sounds like a good plan. Hope it goes well and you get some chicks

 

[drumstick diva]

Cochin's do love to brood. Will you please update if/when any hatch is successful - would love to know how it all turns out.

 

[drumstick diva]

PS your hot temps may have started their development

 

[sumi]

I am also a bit concerned about the hot temperatures possibly starting development. I think the safest bet right now would be to set them under the broodies and candle them after a week or so and check for development.

 

[CHICKEN BUFF]

Oh dear -- I didn't think of that either. If the hot temps started their development, wouldn't the relatively cooler temps (high 70s) at night kill the embryos? Silver puts herself in the coop at night and stays there, so she's not sneaking back to the eggs at all (the coop door remains open).

 

[CHICKEN BUFF]

Okay, I candled them all. Nothing to see. Only three looked possible, because they were totally dark. Just did the water test with them and they sank like a stone and didn't move. Opened them (outside!) and they were just big liquid messes. So we've cleared them away and today we're clipping Silver's wings so she can't get to the dog yard. She''ll just have to "conform" and lay her eggs in the coop like everybody else, LOL


We were so excited by this whole process, that it's obvious we'd really like to hatch something. As soon as we have a hen go broody, we'll put some eggs under her!

 

[chickluvinfreak]

Okay, I candled them all. Nothing to see. Only three looked possible, because they were totally dark. Just did the water test with them and they sank like a stone and didn't move. Opened them (outside!) and they were just big liquid messes. So we've cleared them away and today we're clipping Silver's wings so she can't get to the dog yard. She''ll just have to "conform" and lay her eggs in the coop like everybody else, LOL


We were so excited by this whole process, that it's obvious we'd really like to hatch something. As soon as we have a hen go broody, we'll put some eggs under her!

Sorry the eggs weren't viable. But like you said it's a good learning experience. Hope you do get to hatch some other eggs soon.