Four days to hatching

[Spanna]

Hi, my broody hen stopped being broody with approximately four days to go. The eggs were cold when I found them and I have put them in a make-shift incubator - a polystyrene box with a low wattage incandescent lamp and a bowl of water. What do you think the chances are of them hatching?

Thanks!

 

[Debbie292d]

Can you find a thermometer to check to try ensure the temperature is 99.5 or as close to that as you can get?

I had one the other day pushed out of a nest the night before, unbeknownst to me. It fell 2.5 feet onto a hard wood floor and by some miracle didn't break or crack. It was iced cold as the temp that night was 50F. I put it in the incubator and next day it hatched. It's out with it's mom now after two days to recuperate as it had a tough time standing for a while. Probably from the crash.

This chick beat all odds, so it can happen!

But, there is a chance though that your hen just took an extended break. I'd see if she goes back to the nest, and if so, I'd give them back to her.