candled eggs, no embryos at day 7 :(

[technodoll]

Well, I guess that's that...

My poor hen has been broody for 10 days now and was sitting on 6 eggs the past week.

Candled them tonight, twice, and saw no evidence of embryos in any of them.

So I pulled the eggs from the nest, brought them in, and broke one in a bowl to confirm - yep, just a plain yolk with white, it was an infertile egg I suppose. It smelled a bit, so I tossed the others in the trash without breaking them.

My heart is broken and I'm sure my hen is mad as heck, all this work for nothing!

So now I want to break her of the broodiness, she is in no condition to start all over again for 21 days and then raising chicks in the middle of winter, I'll let her hatch some the next time she's broody. But for now, this has to stop.

I can put her in a blocked-off-by-chicken-wire corner of the coop away from the nesting boxes with my two 15-week old silkies for company - will this work? If yes, how long should it take before she starts eating and drinking again and acting normal? She won't have any eggs to sit on and no "nest" like she's used to.

Sigh. Not happy but I guess everything happens for a reason.

 

[ginbart]

I'm so sorry. I can't help you much because I never had a broody hen, yet. But your right, everything happens for a reason. I bet it's getting to cold up there by now to be having babies running around. I bet in the spring you will have so many babies you won't know what to do with them.

How many roo's and hens do you have?

 

[kathyinmo]

I just broke my broody buff orpington. It took a few days, but I kept throwing her off the nest for 3 days. That didn't work. Then, the next couple days I dunked her butt in a tub of water every time I threw her off. She would run around trying to dry off ... funny girl! At night I put her up on the roost (took her off the nest). Finally, after about a week .... as I was ready to give her eggs! ... I put her in the (chicken wired off) storage area of the coop, with a nice nest of fake eggs, in a kitty litter pan. HA, that did it ! The next day she was ready to get outta there! She ran out and joined her friends!

 

[technodoll]

Ginbart, I now have 19 girls and 3 boys but many of these are only a few months old

I decided to give my girl one last chance, it didn't sit well with my heart or my gut to NOT allow her to hatch some eggs... I normally don't follow logic but rather my gut feeling so there ya go!

Brought her in the house this morning with a fresh batch of eggs, hopefully a few of them are fertile and things will go well this time

She hasn't moved off the eggs, even during transport - she's VERY determined to be a momma!

PLEASE PRAY FOR DEC 23rd BABIES!!

 

[Jess N Jeff]

Good luck with the Christmas babies!!!!

 

[MuranoFarms]

Awwwww, I'm sorry to hear that! I lost a few today too (day 7)

Good luck with the Christmas babies!

 

[adorable]

ahhh. Way to go....I hope you do have some fertile eggs. They are so happy when they have some babies.It really is the cuties thing.

 

[ginbart]

Quote:

It's a SILKIE, well that's a different story. I would bring her in the house to. And now she and the babies can stay where it's warm until spring. I LOVE SILKIES. I hold mine everyday when I have to pick them up and put them back in the pen at night. Darn things. But I love them. I hope you get babies and don't forget the pics.

 

[technodoll]

I must be nuts, eh?

As if Christmas wasn't busy enough as it is... we're putting our house up for sale... it's the beginning of a long, cold winter...

AND I AM HELPING HER HATCH BABIES!

LOL LOL

Ah well, life's a great adventure isn't it?

Will keep you posted - egg candling is happening Sunday night!

 

[ginbart]

When will the hatch date be? Good luck. I'll be

My silkies are only 3 months so when spring comes I hope to get so many babies I won't know what to do with them. Good vibes coming your way.