broody hen left nest with duck eggs due in 6 days.will they live?

[Ducklove334]

I put some mallard eggs(7) under one of our broodies, well 20 days ago. 5 of them developed, and now the babies are due to hatch on the 28th. I went out(AGAIN) to find that the broody was sitting in the nest box NEXT to her nest, I guess someone else stole the nest to lay her own egg, well the eggs were cold, not COLD cold, but cold "not been sat on for a while" cold, so I put her back, this is the second time the eggs have gotten cold, once about a week or so ago, but they still were alive abviously, because they kept growing.

but with the babies being so close, can they survive through that again?, I heard once babies get to a certain stage they can make their own body heat?.

I really hope that they will live, they did it once before!

but now I'm worried

 

[92caddy]

They should be fine, Ive had hens leave the nest for almost 2 days before I noticed it and I put em under another hen and they all hatched.

 

[Ducklove334]

ok, thats good to know.

if it happens again, I'll take the eggs and put them in the bator, or under our other broody cochin, whos been a REAL good momma, her eggs are due to hatch the same day as the mallards LOL.

our little OEG bantie has an egg that got cold too when she left the nest, but now I'm having my doubts about whether it'll hatch, the baby has compeltely filled the egg now. but I'm hoping it hatches.