Day 21 or 22 for hens clutch, have concerns, appreciate advice!

[MountainWoman73]

Seems like this is obvious, so I'm not sure if this is what you're asking: If it's not moving or chirping or breathing it's dead. If it is doing those things it's alive. Baby chicks begin to breathe and chirp inside their shell, usually the day before they pip. But yeah, definitely looks dead from a still photo.

The nest is way dirtier than normal for a broody nest. Probably because of that exploding egg. It does look like your dead chick made it very close to hatching, but I would not have high hopes for the other eggs if they are late and look like that. Getting gunk and dirt on the pores of the eggshell can suffocate the chicks.

 

[oneoftheflock4]

Seems like this is obvious, so I'm not sure if this is what you're asking: If it's not moving or chirping or breathing it's dead. If it is doing those things it's alive. Baby chicks begin to breathe and chirp inside their shell, usually the day before they pip. But yeah, definitely looks dead from a still photo.

The nest is way dirtier than normal for a broody nest. Probably because of that exploding egg. It does look like your dead chick made it very close to hatching, but I would not have high hopes for the other eggs if they are late and look like that. Getting gunk and dirt on the pores of the eggshell can suffocate the chicks.

Thank you, yes I thought it seemed lifeless but it was still warm and looked a little premature and in case it had a little life left in it wanted to seek advice. I had someone tell me they’ve seen chicks that looked dead or hopeless spring back just by holding them in warm hands which was interesting.

Anyway, maybe a silly question but I’m new to chicken keeping and was erroring on the side of caution.

Clearly mistakes have been made with this clutch, probably both by mamma and me. She had way too many to start with. I should have checked things more often and found the unviable eggs sooner. I guess I was being a little too hands off with the nest.

We cleaned the nest again today and did a sniff test and think I found one more rotten one and pulled it. She is down to 9 and still wanting to sit.

I’ll give it a few more days depending on how she’s doing and share an update if theres good news.

Thanks everyone for the advice and support. Learning

 

[AGstudy]

If you think that your chicks are suffocating from the leftover egg gunk on the shells, you could try the emergency airhole method from the following website. https://backyardpoultry.iamcountryside.com/eggs-meat/candling-eggs-artificial-incubation-hatching/

Last year, I bought six eggs from a hatchery and tried putting them under a broody hen. 2 eggs were smashed the first day and the gunk got all over the other eggs. I wiped the gunk off the remaining 4 eggs and incubated them. One very porous egg died on around the tenth day. The rest of them made it to hatching day, but my homemade incubator's humidity wasn't stable...

One chick started talking to me through the shell. Eventually it made an air hole, but it was the only one who did. I watched for hours and no progress. I started getting concerned about the amount of air and followed the emergency advice on the above website. I checked all the eggs to see if the chicks had broken into the air cells. They had. I made an air hole to allow them access to outside air. Eventually, I ended up assisting the hatch by peeling the eggs open. (The chicks were shrink wrapped). They all survived the assistance and are healthy happy birds. Just thought the website might be useful in your situation.

 

[MountainWoman73]

Wanted to add that I have also had the experience of a broken egg leading to a completely failed clutch of eggs. You're not alone, and I don't even think it's that uncommon of an experience. I've also had all my broody's eggs die for no apparent reason at all.

 

[oneoftheflock4]

If you think that your chicks are suffocating from the leftover egg gunk on the shells, you could try the emergency airhole method from the following website. https://backyardpoultry.iamcountryside.com/eggs-meat/candling-eggs-artificial-incubation-hatching/

Last year, I bought six eggs from a hatchery and tried putting them under a broody hen. 2 eggs were smashed the first day and the gunk got all over the other eggs. I wiped the gunk off the remaining 4 eggs and incubated them. One very porous egg died on around the tenth day. The rest of them made it to hatching day, but my homemade incubator's humidity wasn't stable...

One chick started talking to me through the shell. Eventually it made an air hole, but it was the only one who did. I watched for hours and no progress. I started getting concerned about the amount of air and followed the emergency advice on the above website. I checked all the eggs to see if the chicks had broken into the air cells. They had. I made an air hole to allow them access to outside air. Eventually, I ended up assisting the hatch by peeling the eggs open. (The chicks were shrink wrapped). They all survived the assistance and are healthy happy birds. Just thought the website might be useful in your situation.

Oh wow, thanks so much for sharing this, really appreciate it. I’ll keep this in mind as I monitor the situation. It’s hard with with her sitting on the eggs much of the time but trying.

Good job saving those chicks!

 

[oneoftheflock4]

Oh wow, thanks so much for sharing this, really appreciate it. I’ll keep this in mind as I monitor the situation. It’s hard with with her sitting on the eggs much of the time but trying.

Good job saving those chicks!

Wanted to add that I have also had the experience of a broken egg leading to a completely failed clutch of eggs. You're not alone, and I don't even think it's that uncommon of an experience. I've also had all my broody's eggs die for no apparent reason at all.

Looks like I never thanked you for this comment but I really appreciated it. My hen did lose her whole clutch and it was a rough unexpected experience.

I think she had an egg break and some eggs rotted in the nest and the viable ones just didn’t make it through hatch and survive.

After several exploding eggs, a couple stillborn hatches, and her few remaining eggs not seeming viable, I rushed to a farm store and bought her 4 baby chicks, went back and removed the hen from her nest, completely cleaned it and put her back, and one at a time introduced a chick to her pen. She took each one immediately under her and successfully mamma’d them over the next weeks. She is now back to laying.

Even though sadly her clutch didn’t make it, at least she and the rest of the flock got to continue the process and expand with her adopted chicks.