Broody hen pooped on eggs

[vonchick]

One egg hatched yesterday, and the mamma hen is giving more attention to the chick than to the unhatched eggs. There are 7 yet to hatch, and this morning I found she had pooped on 5 of them. She has moved the 2 eggs I assume are clean and is sitting on them as well as cuddling the new chick. I cleaned up the poopy mess and wiped off the dirty eggs with a dry paper towel. The eggs have cooled down - she has been off them for an hour to an hour and a half - it's in the upper 70s here. Will these dirty eggs still hatch? Is there anything else I can do? They have 2 or 3 days left to go. This is our first time dealing with a broody hen...

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Do you have an incubator you can put those eggs in? Cooling off for an hour or so shouldn't be a problem. But if she isn't going to sit on them, you may have to incubate them yourself. You can always slip the babies under her after they hatch.

 

[vonchick]

No, but I may be able to borrow one from our neighbors. Will feces on the eggs keep them from hatching? I'm assuming she took 2 of the 7 to sit on because they were clean. As I said, I wiped the worst of the mess off the eggs with a dry towel.

 

[mamma54]

this is all new to me-but built an incubator out of a styrafoam cooler-trouble light and 25 watt bulb and a screen piece and some pvc to keep it off the bottom. controll temp by rotating the angle of the light and propping it open with whatever.. did hatch out one chic an hour ago that had some "poop" on the shell

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Poop on the shell shouldn't be a problem. It happens all the time in a nest. i wouldn't want poopy eggs in an incubator for 21 days, but since you only have a few days to go, and have wiped most off, it should be okay. Good Luck!

 

[broody chicken girl]

guys i know i am replying late but you can wash eggs with WARM water it will not harm the bloom