Broody rolling eggs out of nest

[porky24]

I have this same problem except the temps here are 90? Could anybody help me?

 

[JeanR]

While setting, hens turn the eggs, as they adjust their own position over the eggs. IS THERE A FRONT EDGE to your nest box, well above the nesting material (straw?) It is a myth that the hen will roll out an egg that is not developing. A hens instinct is to SET--and she waits until the eggs hatch. She cannot count the days--some hens will get off the nest if they do not hatch after a few more days after they are due, but some hens will stay for extra weeks! We have to look after their health, if this happens. If some do not hatch (I candle all eggs during the set, so I can remove any that are not fertile, or can see eggs that have red rings that show up, to indicate they stopped developing--so all are expected to hatch.) Most hens will take the chicks out of the nest a day or two after first chicks hatches (not all) and any eggs not hatched, are just left, because food and water for the chicks quickly becomes her next instinctive priority. Your eggs that are put back in the nest may be okay, but candling is the way to know. No way a hen could remove an egg from the nest boxes I use. I see pictures of many-- that I wonder how daily eggs don't roll out, much less those of a setting hen.
Actually, I use cardboard boxes for the nests. Select right sizes at the grocery store, close them up, cut a hole in the side (with good depth for the straw). Some have to be tacked to the wall, so they are not tipped over as the hens go in and out (or the rooster tips one, as he goes in to "check things out". I cut the door hole to the bottom, remove most of the straw, so chicks can use it, if the hen wants to keep them in the nest box for a while. Box, hen and her eggs she is incubating are moved from the pen, so she will not have another hen laying eggs in her nest!! THEN,when hatching is over, I cut the hole to the bottom of the box, so chicks can go in an out, if the hen wants to keep it for a haven. When she doesn't use it, you just toss it, and have a new clean box for the next laying session. No chance for mites to hide for the next use. If you get mites, it is hard to clean out the permanent nest boxes than look so neat. _Good luck!

 

[porky24]

Thanks so much for the response! My hen has be setting for about 6 days. The evenings here are about 88 to 90 degrees the mornings are 65 to 67 she has all her eggs under her late night and morning but when it's the hottest part of the day she always pushes 5 or 6 eggs out and they lay just right out side her untill late evening and then she tucks them back in for the night. I'm just wondering if this is something she does to some of them to keep the tempature right on these eggs. Thanks so much in advance for your response!!

 

[LinaNate]

Okay, so if I find rolled out eggs that aren't warm, upon candling there is just a dark blob/ no red ring... they should be put back cause they aren't dead? If they are cold and dead they always show a blood ring right?

I found 2 eggs way out of the nest today. One was a clear, one was a dark blob inside. Cracked both and got this:

&​

Was the developed one dead already or did I kill it?

I'm really puzzled. I figured she rolled em out cause they were gone, or wouldn't make it. She had 9 and now only has three that she's sitting on. The two pictured above were rolled out... No idea where the other four went. Advice?

 

[LinaNate]

I built a fence around her nest out in the trees and gave her her own food, water and shelter (should any chicks hatch). Today she's still sitting on the three eggs. I'm wondering how far along the above half developed chick is... and how much longer it could be till she hatches. I'm not removing any of the three she's got now for candling.

 

[mortie]

That developed one may have been alive when you cracked it. There is a lot of vascular material there and if it's been dead more than a day or so, most of the blood vessels will have disintegrated to form the well know blood ring/ring of death. That embryo appears to be about 8 days old