Broody left nest and let eggs get cold day 19, HELP!

[LTreadwell]

Sorry if this is a dumb question, but this is my second time trying to hatch under a broody, and the first time i tried it we ended up with only 1 of 4 surviving.

I have a year old Buff Orpington that decided to go broody, so I put her on 7 eggs to see if she would raise some olive eggers for me - She has stuck tight until today; I found her out in the yard and the eggs were relatively cool. She has been off the eggs for a couple hours now.

We are in north GA where the daytime temps are in the 90's and lows in the 70's for the next week, so the eggs are probably in the high 80's without her on.

I understand the hens stay on the nest for the hatching period....so is this hen filling up on food and water to prepare for that? Today is day 19, Day 17 candling showed all 7 eggs viable. (A couple of them are dark eggs so hard to see, but they had good vessels.)

Or do I need to take these eggs and make an incubator for their last few days? Can I take her and the nest box pan with the eggs and put her in a dog crate and hope she goes back to them?

I always want to just let nature take its course, but after watching these eggs I really want some baby chicks!!

Thanks!

Lisa

 

[LTreadwell]

Ok, I promise I search BYC before this post and couldn't find a good answer - then I just Googled, and found this BYC thread with lots of advice and stories:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-long-can-a-broody-hen-be-off-her-eggs.70631/

I think I am going to dust her for mites and get her back in that nest box and block it off so she stays in the next couple days. It's warm, but not uncomfortable. I will let her out if she want for a little while, but I am hoping being locked in, in the dark, until they start hatching helps...

 

[LTreadwell]

Ok, I promise I search BYC before this post and couldn't find a good answer - then I just Googled, and found this BYC thread with lots of advice and stories:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-long-can-a-broody-hen-be-off-her-eggs.70631/

I think I am going to dust her for mites and get her back in that nest box and block it off so she stays in the next couple days. It's warm, but not uncomfortable. I will let her out if she want for a little while, but I am hoping being locked in, in the dark, until they start hatching helps...

 

[sourland]

I was going to suggest the possibility of a mite infestation. If she will not brood the eggs, be prepared to rig up an incubator. Good luck.

 

[chickens really]

Hens know what they are doing and I'm thinking she is off pooping and eating before the eggs hatch so don't interfere at this point unless others have access to her nest?

 

[LTreadwell]

I left her alone for a little bit, then caught her, dusted her for mites, held her for 10 minutes until she and the other chickens calmed down a bit, and put her back on the nest. She seemed to settle down then, but when I went back at dusk she had roosted with the other chickens instead of the nest.

I put her back on the nest and stayed until she settled in, and blocked her in a bit. I think she will stay for the night at least. Maybe that will reset her mothering. Maybe the babies will start peeping and help her want to stay.

I am working on a plan to incubate the eggs the last few days in case tomorrow she will be off the eggs again. :-(

Not sure why I have tried this 2 times, and both times the hens quit at the last couple days. I really wanted to have her raise the chicks instead of me having them in the house again.

Thanks for you help!

 

[tn_artist]

I left her alone for a little bit, then caught her, dusted her for mites, held her for 10 minutes until she and the other chickens calmed down a bit, and put her back on the nest. She seemed to settle down then, but when I went back at dusk she had roosted with the other chickens instead of the nest.

I put her back on the nest and stayed until she settled in, and blocked her in a bit. I think she will stay for the night at least. Maybe that will reset her mothering. Maybe the babies will start peeping and help her want to stay.

I am working on a plan to incubate the eggs the last few days in case tomorrow she will be off the eggs again. :-(

Not sure why I have tried this 2 times, and both times the hens quit at the last couple days. I really wanted to have her raise the chicks instead of me having them in the house again.

Thanks for you help!

Crossing fingers for her to get her broody groove back by morning!

 

[tn_artist]

How is your hen? Did she stay on the eggs?

 

[LTreadwell]

How is your hen? Did she stay on the eggs?

She was off again in the morning, so I pulled the eggs. I candled them carefully after warming them a bit and saw 4 that had some movement out of the 9. I rigged up an incubator, but just have a feeling these guys aren't going to make it.

Today is day 22 and I haven't seen any egg movement or heard any peeps. I really want to candle them again, but didn't know if that was something you can do during the lock down period? It feels weird to be heating the eggs if I don't know for sure there are viable chicks in there...

I guess I will wait until tomorrow and if I am not seeing any progress I will take a quick candle. Hopefully they are still able to move crammed into that shell!

Thanks!

 

[BaaKaaawk]

She was off again in the morning, so I pulled the eggs. I candled them carefully after warming them a bit and saw 4 that had some movement out of the 9. I rigged up an incubator, but just have a feeling these guys aren't going to make it.

Today is day 22 and I haven't seen any egg movement or heard any peeps. I really want to candle them again, but didn't know if that was something you can do during the lock down period? It feels weird to be heating the eggs if I don't know for sure there are viable chicks in there...

I guess I will wait until tomorrow and if I am not seeing any progress I will take a quick candle. Hopefully they are still able to move crammed into that shell!

Thanks!

Hang on to ALL those eggs until at least Day 25. You've seriously changed the "normal" incubation process but that by no means they're lost.

If you can, get them into an incubator. If you don't have a real one there are usually some on sale on craigslist. Worst case get the temperature as close as you can to optimal.

Here's an article I just wrote about my experience just like yours! Keep the hope and do what you can! I got lucky with a second broody.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...g-when-things-dont-go-quite-as-planned.75308/