Are they dead?

[Ted Scout]

I bought some eggs for my one and only broodie chook (yes I mean I only had one chook) to sit on, its now 21 days in and we have had a heatwave of an average of 40 deg C. Julie Chook is doing fine and she is a good mummy but has it been too hot for the chickens to survive?

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Wow that's hot! My broody hens successfully hatched chicks in the hottest months of the year here and we also see temps that high, so hopefully yours are also ok! I have seen hens dust bath in moist soil and go back to sitting on the eggs, I assume this was one of their methods to keep the eggs cooler. Fingers crossed for a great hatch!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Wow, that's 104°F, pretty toasty! I vote for yes, they'll be fine. Mama's feathers should insulate, not only from the cold, but also from the heat. You should see some activity soon. Keep us posted. Pics would be very nice!

 

[SueT]

What I've done when I had a broody on eggs, is when she leaves nest to eat and poop, I quickly go in and candle the eggs. If they are close to hatching, you may see wiggling, or hear peeping.

 

[chickens really]

Also note that your count might be off by a few days. Keep waiting..