Broody quit on us, eggs moving, help!

[VossFarm]

I set 8 eggs under the hen they were due to hatch Aug 21st and 4 of them did. I gave her 2 more eggs set to hatch Aug 23rd and then 3 more eggs set to hatch Aug 24th(today) I have 3 eggs that were solid in my incubator as she abandoned the nest and I didn't want them to cool down. One egg had an internal pip, the shell is not totally broken, there is a thin layer covering the hole, I don't see any more movement. Is there any chance my eggs might still hatch or should I throw them out?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

The two weak chicks are still alive and have perked up dramatically. They both have round full bellies. Still can't walk though. The eggs have not hatched. The one with the little internal cracked part hasn't made any progress, how long does it take them to pip? I'm worried it piped and drowned or she kicked the eggs all around, maybe it killed it? I've never hatched eggs so I'm not sure how long they take.

If it pipped internally, then usually within 24 hours you expect to see an external pip. If it got cracked due to mama, it may be a matter of not being ready. When you candled did you see a shadow sticking up in the air air cell? (If you candle down into the egg from the top of the egg, you will be able to see the air cell and put things into perspective better than candling from the bottom up.)

 

[VossFarm]

I candled from the bottom up... I could try the other way around... when I candled the air cell had a mass in it. I couldn't distinguish a beak but it had a chick in it. Hubby thinks he saw some pecking at the hole from the inside. I was nursing the baby so didn't get to see for myself... it is very obviously cracked from the inside and not the outside. I will try candling again and try to get some pics for you...

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I candled from the bottom up... I could try the other way around... when I candled the air cell had a mass in it. I couldn't distinguish a beak but it had a chick in it. Hubby thinks he saw some pecking at the hole from the inside. I was nursing the baby so didn't get to see for myself... it is very obviously cracked from the inside and not the outside. I will try candling again and try to get some pics for you...

Candling from the bottom would make it look as though the air cell was filled. I think you'll see a totally different picture if you candle the top down.

 

[VossFarm]

Candling from the bottom would make it look as though the air cell was filled. I think you'll see a totally different picture if you candle the top down. 

The way my candler is I can't turn it so I put the egg in pointy side down. I figured it can't hurt, the mom already scrambled these eggs so badly they were thrown all over the coop. I think I saw movement in one. One of them smelled horribly and was solid all the way through, just solid black so I threw it out. It smelled like death. The pipped egg had something in it but I didn't see movement...

 

[VossFarm]

Pipped egg:

Sorry they're blurry, my phone camera is pathetic and I was hurrying...

 

[VossFarm]

The egg I saw fluttering in...

I also remembered that when I gave the hen the last two eggs that would have been due to hatch today she pushed them out of the nest so the next day I gave them to her again and she then kept them... so maybe that delayed them since she refused to sit on them for a full 24 hrs. My guess is these are those two eggs...

 

[AmyLynn2374]

The egg I saw fluttering in...



I also remembered that when I gave the hen the last two eggs that would have been due to hatch today she pushed them out of the nest so the next day I gave them to her again and she then kept them... so maybe that delayed them since she refused to sit on them for a full 24 hrs. My guess is these are those two eggs...

Well, the pics are not showing what I expected to see. If they were "set" a day or two later, then yes, you should see them hatch a day or two later. Hopefully they will still put in an appearance.

 

[VossFarm]

Well, the pics are not showing what I expected  to see.  If they were "set" a day or two later, then yes, you should see them hatch a day or two later. Hopefully they will still put in an appearance.

Yeah I didn't think they looked right. But these ones don't stink and something is going on inside so I'm giving them a chance. Does the broken part look like a normal pip? I'm so confused...

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Yeah I didn't think they looked right. But these ones don't stink and something is going on inside so I'm giving them a chance. Does the broken part look like a normal pip? I'm so confused...

No. To be honest, to me, it looks as though momma had pecked at the outside shell. It looks red??

At hatch, the eggs should have a rather largeish air cell, and I can barely make out one in the pics. It could be the pics or just the way it's being held, or the strength of the light, but I would expect larger air cells this close to hatch. They should be "drawn down" and very apparent.