Broody Hen Off Eggs In The Middle Of Winter! No Incubator! Please help!

[lena_]

It's currently Winter in New Zealand, and my top hen Marielle has gone broody. Well, she's been broody since mid to late Autumn(Or Fall) and I finally gave in and let her incubate. She has two eggs on day 5 both with lively little spiders in them. However she has gotten off the nest three times today, and has been for around an hour now. What do I do?

Also there is an extremely unfortunate catch... I have no incubator and am on alternative power, meaning I can't run a lamp or incubator without putting the power out within five or six hours. We have a generator, but fuel is expensive and my parents won't want it running 24/7 for two crossbreed eggs. What do I do? I have a hot water bottle I could use. It's not very cold today. :/ I really have no idea... I can't let these eggs die, I'd feel so awful. Marielle clearly has had enough, and I had a scare when I came home yesterday and the eggs were cold and Marielle was roosting. I thought the eggs had died.

Can my body heat keep them warm enough? We're having a party and guests are arriving in around 40 minutes. I really need help!

 

[lena_]

@azygous
@casportpony
@KikisGirls
@WVduckchick

I can try catch her to put her back on the nest, but I doubt she'll like it at all, and she'll probably get off...

 

[Kiki]

Crapola.
Let me think.

Hot water bottles?

I don't think this is good. It is going to be extremely hard to keep the eggs warm enough with not being able to use a lamp or heat source.

 

[Kiki]

MAYBE...
got a small box?
Rice in some socks warmed in the microwave every few hours?
I can't think right now.

 

[lena_]

Crapola.
Let me think.

Hot water bottles?

I don't think this is good. It is going to be extremely hard to keep the eggs warm enough with not being able to use a lamp or heat source.

Thanks, any ideas on putting together a bator? My parents might let me. I'd have to use an EXTREMELY low wattage bulb, as to sustain the power. My stepdad had a couple of styrofoam coolers downstairs. I could ask to use those

I'll go see if Marielle is back on the nest, BRB

 

[lazy gardener]

See if there is any one in your area who has a broody hen? The biggest issue here is that she was allowed to stay broody for too long before giving her eggs. Being broody takes a lot of energy. A built in safety was created, so that if the hen sets for too long and looses too much condition, her hormones will shift away from broodiness. God created this off switch to preserve the life of the hen. So, short answer: if you can not find an alternate means of incubating those eggs, you will have to let them die. Better to take care of your hen than to try to force her body to do something that it is not able to do at this time.

Moving forward: If you have a broody hen, either break her broodiness immediately, or give her eggs to hatch immediately.

 

[Kiki]

Thanks, any ideas on putting together a bator? My parents might let me. I'd have to use an EXTREMELY low wattage bulb, as to sustain the power. My stepdad had a couple of styrofoam coolers downstairs. I could ask to use those

I'll go see if Marielle is back on the nest, BRB

A low wattage light bulb and ice chest is perfect.
You will need to rig the lamp to stay in the ice chest.
Did you see what I made for the balut eggs?

 

[WVduckchick]

If she is done and you dont have any other broodies, I’d say toss them.
If you think she may go back, provide some nice deep bedding for insulation, leave them and hope for the best.

 

[Kiki]

Marielle is done.
Forget about her going back to the eggs. She is not going to.
Time to build a bator or get rid of the eggs.

 

[lena_]

See if there is any one in your area who has a broody hen? The biggest issue here is that she was allowed to stay broody for too long before giving her eggs. Being broody takes a lot of energy. A built in safety was created, so that if the hen sets for too long and looses too much condition, her hormones will shift away from broodiness. God created this off switch to preserve the life of the hen. So, short answer: if you can not find an alternate means of incubating those eggs, you will have to let them die. Better to take care of your hen than to try to force her body to do something that it is not able to do at this time.

Moving forward: If you have a broody hen, either break her broodiness immediately, or give her eggs to hatch immediately.

If she is done and you dont have any other broodies, I’d say toss them.
If you think she may go back, provide some nice deep bedding for insulation, leave them and hope for the best.

Marielle is done.
Forget about her going back to the eggs. She is not going to.
Time to build a bator or get rid of the eggs.

Thanks for the advice guys, it wasn't really me that wouldn't let her incubate, my parents didn't want chicks so late in the season, she had been sitting for about a month util I gave her eggs as when I tried to break her she just stopped eating. I just can't toss them, I'll ask my stepdad if I can try to build a bator. He may not be happy. In the meantime should I bring the eggs inside where it is warm?