Chickens off eggs!!

[Gemgem11]

Soooo I have had 2 broody chickens sort of sharing eggs 1 of them has been getting off the last few days but the other has been looking after them yesterday they were acting a bit odd and today when I went to the coop they had left all the eggs and were laying the other side away from them and they were stone cold they have now gone outside not interested at all we are on day 18 I have bought them inside and candled them I can still see movement inside some of them is there any thing I can do or is that the end?? I have heat lamps etc but no incubator am guessing it’s 2 late they have been completely devoted till this point barely even leaving for food and water we are gutted now!!

 

[Shadrach]

Soooo I have had 2 broody chickens sort of sharing eggs 1 of them has been getting off the last few days but the other has been looking after them yesterday they were acting a bit odd and today when I went to the coop they had left all the eggs and were laying the other side away from them and they were stone cold they have now gone outside not interested at all we are on day 18 I have bought them inside and candled them I can still see movement inside some of them is there any thing I can do or is that the end?? I have heat lamps etc but no incubator am guessing it’s 2 late they have been completely devoted till this point barely even leaving for food and water we are gutted now!!

That's probably it, particularly now you've moved the eggs. At day 18 a hen stops turning her eggs and positions them for hatching.
Hens do change their minds. They will probably go broody again so look forward to the next time.

 

[Gemgem11]

That's probably it, particularly now you've moved the eggs. At day 18 a hen stops turning her eggs and positions them for hatching.
Hens do change their minds. They will probably go broody again so look forward to the next time.

Thanks thought just as much

 

[joesgirljeri]

My chicken kept getting off her eggs for the first 4 days, she would get distracted and take a dust bath... wander around.... and then hours and hours later she'd go get back on her eggs. I thought they'd all die! But I closed the coop to keep her from going outside and being distracted and she was on the eggs almost all the time (when it gets too warm she is off them for a while). We lost 2 of the 9, but the rest kept developing! I think that they're 4-5 days behind their hatch date (we'll see, any day now!) but getting cold for several hours didn't seem to harm them.

 

[Gemgem11]

Yea mine has been a bit like that the last few days but always got back on but seems they have properly given up now refused to sit on them all night and have been out all day I have them on a heat mat and checked and can see movement now in 7 out of 9 eggs I also realised it’s day 17 today not 18 don’t have high hopes now but we will see! Good luck with yours!

 

[Shamo Hybrid]

You could try to isolate them so that they can just focus on their job (setting the eggs) instead of being distracted by other chickens and wanting to mingle and gossip. That's what I would do, anyway.

 

[Gemgem11]

Thanks I did try that but they just got to a gap where there were no eggs and laid there think they are well and truly over it lol- the eggs are still alive at least for now with a heat pad so all I can do now is hope but I’m not feeling 2 hopeful!

 

[Gemgem11]

Just to let you all know I have had 3 eggs hatch today!! Didn’t think it was ever going to happen as they were late aswel a 4th pipping, movement from the 5th but nothing from the other 3 I will keep waiting can’t believe they have been kept alive from being in a box with a heat pad!!