broken egg at 18 days incubation under broody!

[LaSombra]

I have a broody on her 2nd clutch. She's 18 days into it (they're due on Tuesday).

When I went to turn in my birds for the night, I looked over at her nest and two eggs had been pushed out. I'm assuming by another hen. I checked them and one was broken on one side. The membrane is still intact and the shell is still on it, just broken. Momma was off the nest when I found her, probably getting a snack or water.

So, I candled the egg to see if baby was still OK and it's still moving in there. I went ahead and put the egg back in the nest with the rest because I really can't think of anything better to do with it. It would be on lockdown right now if I had an incubator. It needs to stay warm and not get dried out so momma seems like the best option to me. I did surround it by the other eggs to maybe keep some of her weight off of it...

Anyone have any better ideas or any advice on what I should do? I hope the little chick comes out OK!

6 weeks of brooding and nothing like this has ever happened. I wonder who pushed them out

 

[Ariel301]

I had a broken one in my incubator and someone suggested to me that I seal the crack with a little wax. I lit a candle and let the melted wax drip onto the crack, then spread a thin layer to cover it. My egg turned out to be a quitter anyway, but it might work for yours.

 

[LaSombra]

well, went out there to let them out of the coop and that egg was smashed, pieces of shell stuck to a perfect little black baby chick. Poor thing. I just don't know what else I'd have done. I don't have an incubator so it would have probably dried and shrink-wrapped the poor thing. I'm guessing I should probably wash off the other eggs where some yolk broke onto them? Or is scraping them off good enough?

 

[cluckcluck42]

Well Im sorry to hear the egg didn't make it, that really sucks.

No idea what else you could have done, I think you were pretty much helpless unfortunately.