Broody hen won't stay on correct nest, eggs cold to touch today...

[Booster]

Hi,
My Buff Orpington broody was setting relentlessly for 2 months before we permitted eggs to stay under her after fearing for her health and sanity.

The past few days she's been getting more erratic in finding the correct nest box and we've managed to get her on the eggs when they were still warm to touch.
After I came home from work today, she was again on the wrong nest and her eggs were cold to touch. We got her back on the eggs to warm them and hopefully the embryos have not died.
I have a feeling she is losing her strong urge to set, but it appears there is another hen that is just going broody.

The eggs are due to hatch in around 10 days. I have room in my incubator and am going to candle the eggs tonight and put them in it and then stick them under any broody when and if they pip.

What are the chances the babys are still alive? Is this a good plan? I don't have any experience candling.

What to do?

 

[dancingbear]

There's a fair chance they're ok. You should see movement when you candle, you're at the perfect time to see good veining and bouncing embryos. Let them get good and warm before you candle. You'll find out right away if they still viable. If you see veins, even if you don't see movement, they're ok. Veining collapses quickly once the heart stops beating.

I had a similar situation not long ago, my hen was just tired of being broody, I think. When the first 2 eggs hatched she said, "Good, they're done!" and left the nest with 1 poult and one keet, and left 4 more turkey eggs and eight guinea eggs to get cold and die. I found them too late, I put them in the 'bator, but they were already dead.

I think you're wise to take the eggs now, and if they're still good, either transfer to the new broody, or hatch them in the 'bator. Got a good spot to break the broodiness on the BO? A nice pen with a roost and no nesting sites? OR a wire bottom cage with room for food and water and no bedding? Poor girl needs to get over her broodiness, ASAP.

Good luck, please let me know what you find.