Eggs got cold, still hatchable?

[gitlost80]

4 days ago I decided to let my broody hen keep her eggs to hatch.So I put a couple under her. She has been sitting on them for 4 days and keeping them hot to the touch,without much of a break. Today I went in the coop and she was sitting on a different nest and her original eggs were cold to the touch. Can I put them back under her or is it too late for these eggs?

 

[canada-goose]

They might still be okay. It's definitely worth a try!

 

[coltssuperbowl83]

I'd put them under her. What are you going to lose? Its definitely worth a shot. I think they will be ok. Good luck.

 

[Petej]

Our power went out last night for about 8 hours. The incubator hit and stayed at room temp (63 degrees) for the last few hours before power was restored.

I candled my eggs this afternoon after getting the incubator recovered and expected dead embryos in the chicken eggs.


Boy was I wrong!

I have two chicken eggs that are still viable! Very active chicks inside the eggs!!!

I say go for it! Mother nature can be forgiving!

 

[CoffeeCow]

My broody has done this a few times, the first time I was lucky enough to get there while the eggs were still warm,
the 2nd time, I was not as lucky.. the eggs were pretty cold to the touch. I put the broody back on them, and crossed my fingers.

Went out that evening with my candler ( a 6 LED flashlight, very bright ) and all of the eggs (except for one that wasn't fertile) were doing fine.

hope that helps you a little. I am no expert either, this is my first broody. loaded her up on the 4th, so hoping for a Christmas day hatch.
( I didn't tell my son about it just in case she doesn't hatch anything.... But I will be crushed .. hehehe

 

[Jessiewoodard57]

I would mark the eggs before I put them back under her. That way you can track weither they hatch or not.

 

[gitlost80]

I did mark them with an x so I could tell them apart from the rest. I couldnt help myself and made my own styrofoam incubator today also. Just built it, now I gotta go read up on how to hatch eggs...as if i wasnt already obsessed enough with Chicken business!