Broken eggs! :-(

[cheekychicka]

Hi, don't seem to be having much luck with my chickens at the moment!

I've just arrived home to discover my broody walking around the run and the remains of two maybe three eggs in the run. 5 mins later the broody has gone back to her nest, but to the wrong spot!

The original nest is covered in egg. Another egg has rolled away and another was outside in the run but unbroken. The two that were not in the nest are both covered in dried yolk but unbroken.
All the remaining eggs (about 4) are cool to the touch so she's not been on them for a while (it was about 29c here today though ). I moved them all to her new nest and she's moved them under her.

Do I need to wash the eggs with the yolk on them? Have I lost them all? Any advice?

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi, i would clean the eggs but its hard to say if they will hatch or not. Is your broody hen high in the pecking order? How long has she been broody?

Ct

 

[cheekychicka]

She's the second top girl. Been broody for just under two weeks. After the first week I checked the eggs and only one was a maybe. So I bought 6 fertile eggs locally and swapped them over on Monday evening. She's in a spot where the girls don't usually go which makes me wonder if it was her moving the eggs as she got off the nest.

Will it harm the eggs to leave the yolk on them?

 

[Pork Pie]

Ok. I would think that the yolk could create a non permeable coating and thus possibly impair viability. If theres not too much yolk then it may not be an issue.

Kaybe someone with greater experience can offer further advice

Good luck
Ct

 

[cheekychicka]

Thanks CTKEN, I don't want to disrupt her more than I need to, so if I don't have to wash it I'd rather not. But if it means it definitely won't hatch then washing is worth a shot.

 

[Pork Pie]

Your welcome and i honestly cant say if its 100% problem or not. Maybe the egg yolk could affect hatching? Again im just hypothesising.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Ct