Help! Broodie's eggs are 2 days past due and no action.

[Carol.in.WV]

I started 7 standard eggs under my bantam cochin 23 days ago. About a week ago I candled and looks like 3 have no development so I took them out but the other 4 show normal development as best as I can tell with a flashlight on brown eggs. I do not hear and chriping and there is no piping. Can they still be alive? Is there anything I can do to help?

This little pullet has been sitting for a long time as her first batch failed and she really wants some chicks.

She seems to be doing everything right, hardly getting off the eggs at all, I even feed her while she nests and except for her watery stools everything seemed perfect.

Should I open an egg? Could a hatch take that much longer than 21 days?

 

[BirdBrain]

I think I'd be inclined to candle again and see what you see. See if there is any movement and if they have pipped into the aircell.

 

[PandoraTaylor]

I agree, I would candle and see if there is any movement or pipping into the air cells.
use a mini maglite for better veiwing.

 

[Carol.in.WV]

OK will do another candling but if no pip into airspace, then what?

 

[BirdBrain]

So I guess at day 24, if they have not pipped into the air cell and there is no movement and the aircell is rather large, my guess would be that they aren't going to hatch. See if you can find a few chicks st a feed store and slip them under your hen. She'll be thrilled and she will raise them for you.

 

[trinacliff]

I just had this happen with my broody that had been sitting for over 21 days...caught her off the nest for the first time, so I candled the eggs. 13 eggs and no development...so after posting on here to get a general consensus, I put 2 eggs that are due to go on lockdown under her. I would go on the prowl for some feedstore chicks, if I were you...poor little gal working so hard and not getting any babies. If I were closer, I'd give you some of my other eggs that I have about to go into lockdown.

Take care,

Kristen

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

My broody is ALWAYS late at hatching them out (never been on time yet and had two different broodies...same thing). Sometimes by four days after. I believe it's because they got off of them for 20 min at a time to eat/drink every day. It seems to slow things down a bit. Especially newish broody hens. I would give them a few days after hatch date and I would also candle to see what's going on. YOu don't want eggs leaking smelly stuff! Hope they are ok!

 

[Carol.in.WV]

Quote:
You were right. Candled again and nothing in the air cell but very large air cell, so I gently opened one.....nada, another, nada, a third one looked like development stopped quite a while ago and opened the fourth and had signs of a chick but must have died at least a week or so ago.

Good idea about feed store chicks but they won't get any until April.

I can hope she will be a second mother to the little silkie chick that hatched about 2 weeks ago, but if I pick the chick up she goes postal on me, could be jealous. This broody nearly died as a chick and I kept her with me at all times, 24/7, until she could walk again ....about 6 weeks and she thought she owned me, so she could be a tad spoiled.

 

[Carol.in.WV]

Quote:
Thanks.... It would be nice to have some eggs that are about due to hatch for her, but I don't have an incubator (but 4 bantam pullets have gone broody this winter)

I am thinking about giving her a couple eggs that are cross-bred if she doesn't get over it in a day or two, but I am afraid that it is not good for her health to sit for so long a time.

Thanks so much for the offer!

Carol

 

[Carol.in.WV]

Quote:
I wondered if getting off for too long would lengthen the time needed to hatch. In the early part of her sitting she got off more and longer, but lately she has hardly gotten off at all. I have been giving her food because she doesn't stay off long enough.........now I wonder if that could have been the problem? As I mentioned before, I candled and nothing was going on so I opened them up (if they had shown any signs of life I would have left them alone) and they had either died or never developed ...this was day 24. DH has been hoping they would not hatch so at least one of us is happy.