Broody hen - hatched 4 since yesterday, 2 haven't internally pipped yet.

[SilkieFlo]

Hi everyone!

I have broody that is sitting on 6 eggs, 3 have hatched over the course from yesterday morning until now and one is zipping.

If I counted right today is day 22. There are two eggs left which I candled, they are definitely alive but haven't even pipped internally yet...

I didn't really intend to hatch these eggs, because I set 30 eggs in our incubator a week before, but I thought ahh what the hell let these chooks have their fun raising some chicks. So didn't really check on the eggs or mark any. Than the neighbors dog broke into my coop, killed 4 hens and all my roo's and our incubator went terribly haywire and only 2 hatched.

So you can say that I'm really invested in these eggs now :')

So this is probably a staggered hatch and I'm not sure if she will still sit long enough for the two others to hatch. Our incubator is currently doing a test run with some free fertilized eggs from a friend and the eggs were set yesterday at a temp of 99.6F and humidity at 37% but going up (but obviously to low for hatching any eggs).

What is the best course of action if she leaves the nest and leaves these two unhatched? Could I put them in the incubator with this low a humidity? I have a heat plate where I could put them under in a damp cloth?

 

[sourland]

If she stops setting, I would use the incubator.

 

[SilverBirds]

If she stops sitting I'd put them in the 'bator. You can use a went sponge, cloth, or something similar to bump the humidity up.

Terribly sorry for your losses as well.

 

[SilkieFlo]

Ok! More humidity it is

I went to check on her and she wasn’t sitting on these eggs anymore.

Do you think I can let them hatch in this rack? We normally have a tray for lockdown but for obvious reasons can’t put it in there right now. I could put a cloth / paper cardboard in it so they wouldn't fall through.

Do I need to pick my brain again for another solution?

Ok never mind my own question, this turns automatically :') and we can't have that right now. I'll try to find a solution for them to hatch safely in there.

 

[SilkieFlo]

If she stops setting, I would use the incubator.

Even with the low humidity? Won't they get shrinkwrapped?

 

[SilkieFlo]

If she stops sitting I'd put them in the 'bator. You can use a went sponge, cloth, or something similar to bump the humidity up.

Terribly sorry for your losses as well.

I've been thinking about bumping up the humidity as well, but I'm afraid it might hurt the other eggs that are just set...

I'm trying to figure out how to make a small diy 'bator :')

And thank you! I do hope they all make it so I still have something left of my old chickens

 

[SilverBirds]

I've been thinking about bumping up the humidity as well, but I'm afraid it might hurt the other eggs that are just set...

I'm trying to figure out how to make a small diy 'bator :')

And thank you! I do hope they all make it so I still have something left of my old chickens

What humidity are you hatching the other eggs at?

 

[SilkieFlo]

What humidity are you hatching the other eggs at?

I just put them in yesterday and i would like to hatch them at 40-45% humidity.
Edit: I mean the first 19 days and afterwards turn it up

 

[NatJ]

I've been thinking about bumping up the humidity as well, but I'm afraid it might hurt the other eggs that are just set...

A few days of high humidity should not hurt the other eggs.

Just let them have a few days of less humidity afterward, so they lose the right amount of moistureoverall. You can check by looking at the air cell size, or by weighing the eggs when you set them and then again at weekly intervals. There are lots of charts online that show proper air cell sizes, and some that list % weight for eggs to lose at various stages.

It is important for the eggs to lose about the right amount of moisture before lockdown, but it doesn't need to happen at an exactly even rate. A little faster or slower for a few days can balance each other out just fine.

 

[SilkieFlo]

A few days of high humidity should not hurt the other eggs.

Just let them have a few days of less humidity afterward, so they lose the right amount of moistureoverall. You can check by looking at the air cell size, or by weighing the eggs when you set them and then again at weekly intervals. There are lots of charts online that show proper air cell sizes, and some that list % weight for eggs to lose at various stages.

It is important for the eggs to lose about the right amount of moisture before lockdown, but it doesn't need to happen at an exactly even rate. A little faster or slower for a few days can balance each other out just fine.

Ok! More humidity it is

I went to check on her and she wasn’t sitting on these eggs anymore.

Do you think I can let them hatch in this rack? We normally have a tray for lockdown but for obvious reasons can’t put it in there right now. I could put a cloth / paper cardboard in it so they wouldn't fall through.

Do I need to pick my brain again for another solution?