Broody in wrong nest! Eggs cold! Advice or experience please!

[BenlynFarm]

I’ve read a few posts on here about this happening for others. I wanted to put a post out with the details of my situation and see what you all think! It’s about day 15 for my hen sitting on 8 eggs. This morning the hen got out to get a drink like she always does. My daughter went out to make sure she went back to her nest. She is pretty certain she was on the right nest (maybe about 10am or a little later) when I asked her tonight. We left and didn’t come home until after dark. We went out to check on her and she was on a different nest of fresh eggs!!! Her eggs were cold! Anyone think there is any chance they will survive? The temperature was about 45-50 all day (rainy) but I have no idea how long she had been off them. Could have been anytime between let’s say 10am (in case she got right back out again) and 7:45pm. We put her right back on them.

 

[vixie-daisy]

It is possible that they could still be alive. Not quite the same situation but I once had a batch of eggs in the incubator and my dogs somehow managed to unplug it. The temp in the incubator dropped to the low 60s and the eggs were very much cold to the touch, so it must have been off for quite a while. I candled the eggs, saw no movement, and was sure they were dead, but decided to turn the incubator back on anyway just in case. When I checked later after they had warmed, all but one showed signs of life again.

 

[BenlynFarm]

It is possible that they could still be alive. Not quite the same situation but I once had a batch of eggs in the incubator and my dogs somehow managed to unplug it. The temp in the incubator dropped to the low 60s and the eggs were very much cold to the touch, so it must have been off for quite a while. I candled the eggs, saw no movement, and was sure they were dead, but decided to turn the incubator back on anyway just in case. When I checked later after they had warmed, all but one showed signs of life again.

That gives me some hope! I candled a couple of them and didn’t see movement but we did put her back on them. So I will candle them again today!

 

[BenlynFarm]

I candled again this morning and did see some movement in a few of them! I’m so happy because I just was sick thinking they’d all be dead! I’ll update at hatch day!

 

[vixie-daisy]

I candled again this morning and did see some movement in a few of them! I’m so happy because I just was sick thinking they’d all be dead! I’ll update at hatch day!

I'm glad to hear you saw some movement, that's such a relief! I remember being so devastated when I found my cold eggs and then the elation later when I realized some had made it anyway. Wishing the best of luck for your hatch

 

[BenlynFarm]

Ok, so I think this is like day 18, I’m losing track. The momma hen has been off the eggs a lot today! Is that normal from your experience?? Should I make an emergency incubator or something?

 

[BenlynFarm]

I put the mom back on eggs last night after she was off and on the eggs. Then today, she was off them again (maybe all day, we were not home). When we got home to close up the coop she was NOT on the eggs but on the bar of the nest box beside them! So once again, I’ve put her on the eggs for tonight. Anyone think I should take the eggs from her tomorrow and attempt to make a homemade emergency incubator? I’m afraid they’ll all be dead since she’s been off them two separate days now, even though they lived after the first day. When I put her back on them tonight, she nestled back down and pushed all the eggs under her. Gosh this has not gone as planned!!!!