chickens on eggs for four weeks ?

[SSChicken332]

Hopping to have chicks any time a week or so ago . At what point do I take out the eggs . There was 2 mostly developed dead chicks found on the floor about a week ago . Rooster was moved and no more dead chicks. Just wondering how long to wait until removing the eggs . My chickens are sliver gray Dorklings

 

[chicks are life]

Leave till they go bad or hatch

 

[sylviethecochin]

Stick a flashlight under the egg and check to see if there's any movement. If not, they're dead. The latest I've ever had an egg hatch is four days after due date, and that was in an incubator, and it was a muscovy, which already has a really long hatch time. I suspect your chicks are dead.

 

[chicks are life]

X2

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Candle to detrrmine stage of development. Are you certain no eggs were added to the clutch(ie by other germs in the flock) during the setting?

 

[chicks are life]

Use a Strong flashlight

 

[SSChicken332]

I dumped them , it looked like one exploded

 

[rebrascora]

I would not be so keen to blame the rooster for the dead chicks unless you witnessed it. It is more likely to be another hen than the cock bird, but they may just as easily have fallen out of the nest and been unable to climb back or hatched out weak/sick.

I'm really sorry you haven't got any chicks from this hatch. Really sad for the broody too after all her hard work. If one of those eggs has exploded and she was on the nest, you need to check her and perhaps give her a good bath because flies could target any caked on gunk and she could end up with fly strike. There is nothing like watching a broody raise her chicks so please don't let this bad experience put you off, but perhaps set up a broody area next time, so she has her own nest where others are not climbing on top of her to lay and risking breaking eggs and crushing chicks.