Broody was killed last night, Help!

[Traceaskew]

I had a brahma that had been sitting on 8 eggs for 2 weeks…well, today would've been day 14. She was killed by a raccoon who figured out how to open the broody coop last night My mom found her late this morning so I don't know how long they were alone. I ran out and got an incubator (nope, never hatched eggs before, not even with a broody) and got them in there. I have tried to candle them before she died and could not make out much. They are EE eggs and I read they are hard to see through. I tried candling them again today and all I could see was the air cell, the rest was just dark. I did compare them to an un incubated EE egg from the same hen and that one I could see glowing a bit and make out speckles in the shell.

A bit more info: It was in the low 80's last night, she was VERY devoted and I never saw her off the nest. The incubator is running at about 96.5-99 degrees and humidity has been 48%.

What do you think my chances are at getting any to hatch? I'm so heart broken for this hen, she was so sweet and such a devoted mama

 

[carlf]

Cant hurt to try. YOu have nothing to lose at this point.

I had a very hard time seeing anything when I candled the eggs under my broody hen. I was worried none were fertile, all 11 hatched.

Put them in the incubator and give them until day 25 to pip. Then listen for peeping, try to float one to see if there is movement, etc..

 

[RubyNala97]

What kind of light are you using to candle? Small, LED flashlights with new batteries work very good. Make sure the room is very dark since you're having a hard time. Shine the light into the fat end, where the air cell is. Once you find the air cell you should be able to see veins and the development below it. You can keep the light over the air cell and move it around the fat end of the egg. That's the best way to actually see what's in the middle of the egg. What incubator did you get? Is it forced air? I would recommend testing a separate glass thermometer for accuracy and then placing it at egg level in the incubator to test the reading that the actual incubator display is giving you. Often times the incubators temps can be off. I would say you have a really good chance of hatching those eggs!! So sorry about your hen.

 

[Traceaskew]

 

[stevienickole]

Similar situation to mine.. Except I have ducks.. And no incubator! And they are so close to hatching that by the time the store gets one in the ducks will have already hatched if they are going to I have a little system setup so maybe it will work

 

[Traceaskew]

What kind of light are you using to candle? Small, LED flashlights with new batteries work very good. Make sure the room is very dark since you're having a hard time. Shine the light into the fat end, where the air cell is. Once you find the air cell you should be able to see veins and the development below it. You can keep the light over the air cell and move it around the fat end of the egg. That's the best way to actually see what's in the middle of the egg. What incubator did you get? Is it forced air? I would recommend testing a separate glass thermometer for accuracy and then placing it at egg level in the incubator to test the reading that the actual incubator display is giving you. Often times the incubators temps can be off. I would say you have a really good chance of hatching those eggs!! So sorry about your hen.

I do have an led light and tried it several times in complete dark. I can't see anything but the air cell. I got the only incubator that TSC had. It's a farm innovators and it's the one with the auto turner and it is forced air. I do have a glass thermometer in there laying on the tray next to the eggs and I found that the incubators is saying its at 99.5 but it's a bit lower than that. I am adjusted the temp. Thanks!

 

[dekel18042]

I do have an led light and tried it several times in complete dark. I can't see anything but the air cell. I got the only incubator that TSC had. It's a farm innovators and it's the one with the auto turner and it is forced air. I do have a glass thermometer in there laying on the tray next to the eggs and I found that the incubators is saying its at 99.5 but it's a bit lower than that. I am adjusted the temp. Thanks!

I'm not the best at candling eggs, especially since most of the eggs I hatch are either blue, green or very dark, so if you're only seeing air cells that is a good sign. When the whole egg looks clear or mostly clear with just a darkish spot at two weeks that isn't a good sign. I've hatched some marans' eggs I could see next to nothing and they all hatched. Good luck.

 

[RubyNala97]

I do have an led light and tried it several times in complete dark. I can't see anything but the air cell. I got the only incubator that TSC had. It's a farm innovators and it's the one with the auto turner and it is forced air. I do have a glass thermometer in there laying on the tray next to the eggs and I found that the incubators is saying its at 99.5 but it's a bit lower than that. I am adjusted the temp. Thanks!

Sounds like you are doing awesome!! If you can't see past the air cell but you can tell that it is dark in there then that's a good sign. The eggs may be a little delayed since they went without heat for some hours. I'm keeping my crossed for you! You have to update when they hatch. And don't forget to take the auto turner out and lockdown on day 18!

 

[FridayYet]

You've already received great advice, so I'm just stopping by to wish you good luck!

 

[Traceaskew]

Sounds like you are doing awesome!! If you can't see past the air cell but you can tell that it is dark in there then that's a good sign. The eggs may be a little delayed since they went without heat for some hours. I'm keeping my crossed for you! You have to update when they hatch. And don't forget to take the auto turner out and lockdown on day 18!

Thank you! I'm hopeful. It will be so amazing if even a couple of them hatch! I feel like I owe it to that poor mama that was so devoted
I will definitely update when something is happening. Thank God for this site!