Anyone know about when eggs are no good???

[Bjwkarma]

I have eggs that a broody hen is laying on, when i candle them they are black, but its time they hatched. I put them in warm water, they didnt float but stood up on one end. Does this mean theyre still good and a small air pocket is there???

 

[FloorCandy]

I have eggs that a broody hen is laying on, when i candle them they are black, but its time they hatched. I put them in warm water, they didnt float but stood up on one end. Does this mean theyre still good and a small air pocket is there???

I’m not sure what to say about whether they were good or not, but you should not float test, you run a very strong risk of drowning the chick if it’s still alive. If you candle it, you would generally see movement around the edges of the air cell, if there was no movement, they probably didn’t make it.

 

[Bjwkarma]

I’m not sure what to say about whether they were good or not, but you should not float test, you run a very strong risk of drowning the chick if it’s still alive. If you candle it, you would generally see movement around the edges of the air cell, if there was no movement, they probably didn’t make it.

Thank you, oh Lord i hope i didnt make things worse.

 

[Bjwkarma]

I think ill just take her off the nest, its just the last two were pecked open or broken somehow and they were full grown with feathers... i was hoping these would be ok. To be safe i moved my broody hen and her eggs inside. But like i said theyre dark and... i dont know. Id hate to throw out eggs that were about to hatch

 

[Debbie292d]

I think ill just take her off the nest, its just the last two were pecked open or broken somehow and they were full grown with feathers... i was hoping these would be ok. To be safe i moved my broody hen and her eggs inside. But like i said theyre dark and... i dont know. Id hate to throw out eggs that were about to hatch

When were they due to hatch? I always give questionable eggs two extra days to hatch, then candle before tossing.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Why you even messing with them?
Let the mother do her job.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

A hen is not an artificial incubator. She needs no help. They've been hatching eggs successfully for millions of years without human intervention and they haven't gone extinct yet. The worst thing to do is pull or look at eggs or move the hen when hatching is imminent. Just like lockdown in an incubator, she needs to sit tight on the nest to retain humidity.

I never candle or mess with a setting hen's eggs. I completely ignore her other than to make sure she has food and water and if possible, a dust bath.

 

[Toastedone]

But like i said theyre dark and... i dont know.

Dark eggs seem like eggs full of a chick about to hatch.. mama knows her stuff and did a fine job getting them this far.. waiting game now, i'd say