Can I remove the eggs?

[Myst4]

I have a broody hen who has been sitting on eggs for 27 days now. She got up off of them yesterday long enough for me to see that one is gone and there are no pips(9 eggs left). She wanted to come out of her pen,but instead went back on her eggs. I was wondering, would it be ok if she got up off of them today,if I took them and put them in my bator? Would that stress her out too much? We've been having cold weather (especially night,last night you could see your breath when outside). I feel bad that she is in that pen and for so long. What should I do? I can't candle them,due to the fact I can't see in them. She is sitting on 9 green EE eggs.

 

[MissPrissy]

How old are the eggs?

If they are hatchable she has a better chance of doing it than you can in a bator.

If the eggs are long past overdue (25+ days) take them VERY CAREFULLY and place them in a trash bag. I promise you an exploding egg is not something you want to experience or have fly all over you.

Let us know the outcome - when she gets off the nest why can't you candle them? Throw jacket over your head and use a flashlight for a quick look. Usually you can touch each egg with the light and see whats going on without disturbing her nest.

 

[Myst4]

Quote:
The eggs weren't very old before I placed them under her. There were 14 to start with. Then she removed 4 herself. I had candled them just before she removed the 4 unfertile ones. I saw one was developing fine(veining and embryo). When she got off them yesterday and I got a chance to count them, there were 9. So she must hae destroyed one. It's very difficult to catch her off of the nest. Like I said in my first message on this thread, this is day 27 for her sitting on them. I can't spend a lot of time in the coop to catch her off of them. I have an 18 month old baby and lots more animals to tend to.

 

[MissPrissy]

I know exactly what you mean. I have a 2 yr old I have to work around daily!

If the eggs are on day 27 they most likely are not going to hatch - but I have seen late hatches. Take one, take it inside, candle it, if you have to pip the large end over the air cell and look for signs of life. I would do this one at a time but with EXTREME caution and care incase there is a bad egg.

Afterward if you believe the hatch to be over and no chicks to hatch out lock her out of the nest, dispose of the eggs with care. She may be insistant but you be more persistant and keep her locked out of a nest and break her brood if you that is what you want to do with her.

 

[Myst4]

Quote:
I guess this is what I'll have to do.....Thanks for the advice. I'll let you know of the outcome. I hope that the chicks are still alive in those eggs and just late hatchers(due to the weather). Oh and if the chick in the egg is ok...should I put it in the bator or back under her? Also, I just thought of this, if the eggs are ok and I put them back under her,I will write the letter " G " on it to let me know that I have checked that one and that it is a good one(so I won't make the mistake of checking it twice and miss checking another egg)

 

[MissPrissy]

Good plan with marking them - I meant to tell you that.

 

[Myst4]

Quote:
update: all of my other chickens were out in the field so I thought I would take advantage of it. I opened the door to the pen the broody is in and put a bit of cracked corn just outside of it to see if she would leave the nest. She did and came right out. She was eating it as though she hadn't eaten for days. Anyway, I stood there watching her and out of a sudden she started to flap her wings and and jump around and clucking loudly. I thought maybe she was upset with me being there, so I stepped outside and watched her. She then walked down the ramp and into the outside pen. She started scratching the ground andthen rolling on it. She then again started flapping her wings,jumping and clucking loudly. She did this a couple of times and then I saw the rooster come running like it was a fire. There is an opening in the side of the pen and he bolted in there and tried to catch the broody to mate with her. He chased her up and down the ramp, in and out of the coop, never catching her. She then tricked him by making out that she was going down the ramp..so he ran out the door and back into the side part of the pen and waited for her to come down. She then walked casually,making a low clucking noise,to the pen where her nest is. She went in and got herselfr comfortable on the eggs. So I shut the door to her pen...andthere you have it. I did manage to candle 2 of the eggs, but all I saw was black. I couldn't even see the air sac. I did the smell test, and both had a funny smell to them, but were dirty,so I thought maybe it was that that smelled. It wasn't a real strong smell. I'll give her till Monday, if there aren't any chicks..I'll toss the eggs.

 

[suebee]

I did manage to candle 2 of the eggs, but all I saw was black.

There's probably a chick in there if all you saw was black. Good luck!

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[Myst4]

Quote:
There's probably a chick in there if all you saw was black. Good luck!

Thanks,and hopefully it's a living chick..

 

[sara]

I agree with Miss Prissy, you could take one or two in and pip the air cell to check for life. At day 27 they should have hatched. Be careful, rotten eggs stink! Good luck