Broody stopped sitting, HELP!

[LingaB]

I have a speckled Sussex that was a first time broody, got her some eggs and she sat until day 10, then stopped. She only sits on them at night. She is currently in a 'maternity Ward' I built just for her so there aren't any chickens that bother her. It is now day 16, I candled and see movement in at least 3(there are 8 eggs). The others are maran eggs or EE eggs and it's really hard to see inside. The ones I can see inside of don't look like eggs on day 16. I do see veins though.

Questions are:
1. Can I save them?(I don't have an incubator), maybe I can build one?
2. If they are dead, would I still see veins or would a blood ring form?
3. Is it possible that growth was slowed and that is why they don't look like day 16?

It has been in the 80s during the day here in GA.

Thanks in advance, I'm new to this.

 

[LingaB]

Anyone?

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

I think your best bet would be get or a make an incubator as soon as possible to save these eggs. If your hen was truly broody she would only come off the nest once maybe twice a day to eat drink and poop only. She would not sit only on a night.

If she has only been sitting on them on a night they are only getting half the incubation period that they require that is the most likely cause of them looking delayed in development and not as they should on day 16.

Hope this helps you and good luck with them

 

[LingaB]

She made her own nest and sat on it for about a week but her eggs weren't fertile. I got her fertile eggs, moved her to the maternity ward and she sat all the time( only getting up about once a day to eat and drink). Then on day 10, I saw her walking around the pen I have her in and she never sat back down until night time. Not sure what made her snap out of it. She is a first time broody so maybe that's why.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Yes this could be the cause also maybe moving her to somewhere new could have done it too. Nature and broody hens are a law unto themselves :cd

 

[AmericanMom]

You could set up a temporary incubator as I did.. There is no guarantee that it will work, mine were on day 16 when I put them in but my broody had been faithfully sitting, she abandoned these because I added them four days later then the ones she was sitting so once hers hatched she left these, I was expecting it so I was prepared.. Here is what I did..




Used my brooder light, watched it until I had the perfect temp of between 100-102 (I kept having to add and take away books to get the box the right height ..






Once they internally piped I upped the humidity, as you can see I put this in the bathroom, a lot easier to control the humidity, turn on the shower and got it nice and moist and in keeping window and doors shut I was able to regulate the humidity, if it was to high I just cracked the bathroom door..






I ended up getting 3/4 to hatch, the last one died before piping... Since your hen has not been sitting faithfully it may take a few more days but I would certainly give it a try, let them go for a few days under the lamp and then candle.

Good Luck!

 

[LingaB]

Thank you for your replies. I found a post on making an incubator out of a styrofoam cooler. Fingers crossed.

I don't think she stopped sitting because of the move. When I moved her and put fertile eggs under her she sat for 10 days and then just stopped nothing changed in those 10 days.

 

[AmericanMom]

Thank you for your replies. I found a post on making an incubator out of a styrofoam cooler. Fingers crossed.

I don't think she stopped sitting because of the move. When I moved her and put fertile eggs under her she sat for 10 days and then just stopped nothing changed in those 10 days.

Sometimes it happens with new or young broody's.. I had a Cuckoo Maran that sat wonderfully for 18 days she then started pecking open the eggs and killing the chicks, I took the remaining eggs from her and since I had my incubator going hatched out the rest in there.. I refuse to use her eggs for incubation or use her for hatching... I just had her hatch mate successfully hatch out the four eggs I had under her so I know its just that hen.
Sometimes something just doesn't work right in them.

 

[LingaB]

Well, I built a cooler incubator but having problems getting the temp down.... Humidity has been in the low 30s but the temp is around 104. I have a ton of holes about the size of a dime.

 

[LingaB]

Made some adjustments and it ran at 102 all day and in the mid 30s for humidity. This is with a still air.

Anyway, I took apart an old cable box, took out the fan and wired it to an outlet cord. Attached it to Styrofoam cooler bator and now it is running about 95 degrees and 26% humidity. So my forced air runs colder than my still air. I was reading from Mississippi state that a still air can be at 102 degrees but a forced air needs to be between 99-100.

thoughts? Should i stick with the forced air and up the wattage of the light bulb? I am currently using a 25 watt bulb. or should I nix the fan? I have already sealed all the holes.