Broody hen rejecting non-viable eggs?

[hausfrau]

Our broody hen has hatched 3 chicks and is still sitting on a combination of duck and chicken eggs. Today she separated out 6 eggs and left them against the opposite side of the cage.

1. Does she know what eggs are bad and won't hatch?
2. The separated eggs are ice cold now, is there any hope?
3. What would you do?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Judy]

I have often suspected they can tell, in the late days of brooding. I'd open one and find out.

 

[Lil_Miss_Farmer_Chick]

I think so, my broody hen kept pushing out one of the eggs, and I just kept putting it back *sigh*. When the others were all done hatching, I opened the one she kept pushing out and it had never developed, it was just a regular yolk.