Bad eggs?

[woobiedog]

Hi, I have a broody hen been sitting on eggs for about 4 weeks. Some of the eggs exploded under her. Aside from the smell I was concerned about sanitation and jeopardizing the health of the hen and any chicks. Last week I removed the hen sitting in the nest box and put her and the box with the eggs in a secure cage because last year something was stealing her eggs out from under her. Anyway, today i had to clean the box. I removed the hen and washed the eggs with water. Several more of them exploded and another broke containing a chick. Here are my questions;
1. Did I risk killing the chicks by rinsing them with cool water and being away from the hen for 20 minutes?
2. I tried to see which ones had developing chicks by holding them up to a flashlight. I couldn't see through them, they looked dense. Do those eggs have developing chicks?
Thanks for your advice!

 

[WVduckchick]

1 - You can remove the chicks from momma for a bit (20 minutes is no problem) to clean them up. Warm water would be better, but if you must use cool water, use as little as necessary. It probably won't even hurt to leave them with her, she will clean them, but if its really bad from the broken egg, its probably worth the risk. After you are done, put the chick back under her by hiding it in your hand, and placing it under her rear end. That way is more likely for her to take the chick back, and not peck at it.

2 - By hatch time, developing eggs should look almost totally dark, but you should still be able to see the air cell in the fat end of the egg, and usually a slight bit of area visible around the edge of the air cell. If they are totally full, then they likely contain a chick about to hatch. But smell the eggs too! Since some exploded/rotted, your nose should let you know if these are about to explode too.
Good luck!

 

[UThobbyfarmer]

1 - You can remove the chicks from momma for a bit (20 minutes is no problem) to clean them up. Warm water would be better, but if you must use cool water, use as little as necessary. It probably won't even hurt to leave them with her, she will clean them, but if its really bad from the broken egg, its probably worth the risk. After you are done, put the chick back under her by hiding it in your hand, and placing it under her rear end. That way is more likely for her to take the chick back, and not peck at it.

2 - By hatch time, developing eggs should look almost totally dark, but you should still be able to see the air cell in the fat end of the egg, and usually a slight bit of area visible around the edge of the air cell. If they are totally full, then they likely contain a chick about to hatch. But smell the eggs too! Since some exploded/rotted, your nose should let you know if these are about to explode too.
Good luck!

1) A healthy egg with good development should have little to no impact being cleaned or away from mum (or incubator) for a bit.

2) Get a better flashlight (800+ lumens), candle sooner (5-10 days) and mark your eggs (date added, good or questionable upon candling) with a pencil. I'm not sure why you're having such luck with exploding eggs. It's actually rather unusual.

 

[woobiedog]

1 - You can remove the chicks from momma for a bit (20 minutes is no problem) to clean them up. Warm water would be better, but if you must use cool water, use as little as necessary. It probably won't even hurt to leave them with her, she will clean them, but if its really bad from the broken egg, its probably worth the risk. After you are done, put the chick back under her by hiding it in your hand, and placing it under her rear end. That way is more likely for her to take the chick back, and not peck at it.

2 - By hatch time, developing eggs should look almost totally dark, but you should still be able to see the air cell in the fat end of the egg, and usually a slight bit of area visible around the edge of the air cell. If they are totally full, then they likely contain a chick about to hatch. But smell the eggs too! Since some exploded/rotted, your nose should let you know if these are about to explode too.
Good luck!

Hi, I have a broody hen been sitting on eggs for about 4 weeks. Some of the eggs exploded under her. Aside from the smell I was concerned about sanitation and jeopardizing the health of the hen and any chicks. Last week I removed the hen sitting in the nest box and put her and the box with the eggs in a secure cage because last year something was stealing her eggs out from under her. Anyway, today i had to clean the box. I removed the hen and washed the eggs with water. Several more of them exploded and another broke containing a chick. Here are my questions;
1. Did I risk killing the chicks by rinsing them with cool water and being away from the hen for 20 minutes?
2. I tried to see which ones had developing chicks by holding them up to a flashlight. I couldn't see through them, they looked dense. Do those eggs have developing chicks?
Thanks for your advice!

Thank you! Good advice about covering the eggs with your hand. Input some new eggs in while she was sitting on the old ones and she pecked at them a bit. Hope she didn't put a hole in it! Not sure if putting new ones in was a good idea. If the old ones hatch, will she stop sitting g in the new ones?

 

[woobiedog]

1) A healthy egg with good development should have little to no impact being cleaned or away from mum (or incubator) for a bit.

2) Get a better flashlight (800+ lumens), candle sooner (5-10 days) and mark your eggs (date added, good or questionable upon candling) with a pencil. I'm not sure why you're having such luck with exploding eggs. It's actually rather unusual.

Thank you. Yes, I need a stronger flashlight, I used a headlight. I wish I knew why they are exploding. I assume that some of them were unfertilized. I did not know she was gonna get broody. One day she just started sitting on those laid by all the chickens. They lay in one box. I did not disturb her to see if the eggs were fertilized. Should you do that as soon as you see her get broody?

 

[NatJ]

Input some new eggs in while she was sitting on the old ones...If the old ones hatch, will she stop sitting g in the new ones?

She cannot sit on eggs while also taking chicks to food and water. So if some hatch, she will either abandon the eggs--or keep sitting while the hatched chicks starve underneath her.

So if she's got eggs that should hatch on different dates, you will either need a brooder (take the hatched chicks away and raise them yourself), or an incubator (take the unhatched eggs and put them in the incubator to finish, then raise those chicks in a brooder.)