Heartbeats!!!!

[end9586]

OMG! so we have a broody hen and she has been laying on 6 eggs well 2 days ago we did our first candeling and saw that 4 were fertilized and 2 were unsure. well we did another candeling today(day 6) and we actually saw heartbeats

on 3 of them! Also im glad i didnt take out the ones we were unsure about because one did turn out to be fertilized! Also when i checked this morning there was 7 eggs insted of 6!

I am so excited to see our babies!

Now my question is Emma gets off the eggs to eat and drink and poo but i was wondering is it bad for the eggs if she is off them for too long? Thanks for all the help!

 

[The Chicken People]

I would mark the eggs with a pencil that you are letting her hatch. And remove eggstras that she is hoarding! Lil Bit had too many under her at once and it caused some not to get what they needed in warmth and humidity to properly hatch! Theres loads of info here on BYC...I love it!

 

[Ariel301]

Indeed, I'd mark the ones she's already got partially incubated. If she or another bird lays one in the nest a week or more after the first ones, and it is still not ready to hatch when the others do, she will probably just abandon it when the others hatch even though it's close to hatching.

They should be fine for a decent amount of time without her on them, half an hour or so is ok, as long as it's not freezing cold. If she's off of them for hours at a time though, that's another story.

 

[end9586]

thanks so much! we have them marked with numbers and the ones that are fertilized for sure are marked with an F. We are going to wait until day 14 to check them again b/c it upsets emma so much and she starts yelling at me and pecking at my hand!