Help! Chicken disappeared and presumed sat on eggs somewhere

[Backyard Hencam]

Well curiosity got the better of me today, when on what is day 22 , she popped out for some food. So we pulled up the wooden boards over where she has hidden her nest, and there she was sat on a total 26 eggs! She had kicked out 6 (no life in them), there was no life in 6 more, but definite life in 14 eggs. No pips yet. So we have left her where she is for now, on top of the 14 eggs. We hope to move her and eggs tonight when it starts getting dark, into the crate in the coop. Though I still think 14 is a bit much she's an Icelandic by the way
(In the previous photo the coop had just been hosed down so that's why it looks wet.)

I'm enjoying this story. Thanks for posting. I've never had the experience you are having and it's been very interesting. I do hope it has a happy ending!

 

[CluckerFamily]

I am so excited for you! It is tough waiting to see her walking across the yard with all the little ones following her. I can't wait to see pictures!!!

 

[Weeg]

You may want to try and move her, it's risky but I just read two threads with a story a lot alike yours and it ended in the same way, hen being eaten by a predator. You will want a back up incubator just in case. if you decide to move her, Can yo candle some eggs if you decide to move her? To do so you can use a milk crate.

 

[RW1984]

I definitely can’t wait to hear how this turns out

 

[Vlwood_10]

Ha ha. I am getting so impatient. Well we have decided just to leave her where she is for now. She is very safe. Nothing can get into where she's hidden.
I candled all the eggs quickly this afternoon, so definitely life in at least 10 of the 14 eggs I have placed back under her. All eggs looking good otherwise. Possibly 2 internal pips. I checked this evening and she is quite happy sat back on her eggs. We have never hatched under a broody before. And we actually had no plans to have any more chicks this year after hatching out 5 ourselves in a homemade incubator earlier this year.
Will be interesting to see if she gets the chicks safely over to the coop without the other hens harassing her. We work at home so we are always here to keep an eye on them with regards to predators.
Broody pen is all set for her. And will dig out our incubator etc in case.
Could start snowing here in a few weeks time, so keen to get them into the coop. (We live in northern Norway)

 

[Weeg]

Okay good! Where we are we have so many predators so I am always nervous about that with other peoples chickens! I hope that you have chickies soon! It will be so exciting! We just got ducklings, and long story short, we stupidly allowed our ducks to sit on a shared nest of eggs that died probably early, and they sat on it for 4 months! In the end we need up picking up dead duckling carcases that never hatched! It was terrible a very dramatic stressful 4 months. But our mallard tried again and we separated her so she hatched out 3 ducklings of her own! We are so stocked, and I bet you will have babies soon too! Don't give up, Avery

 

[aart]

Could start snowing here in a few weeks time, so keen to get them into the coop. (We live in northern Norway)

Here's how to add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[Vlwood_10]

So now it's day 24 and no chicks yet (she sat on the eggs 30th July)....however, she has just come up for food again. So I thought I would take a peek under the loose boards whilst she's off the nest....we have at least 1 external pipp! (Can't quite see) A few eggs rocking about and lots of peeping from the eggs so hopefully by tomorrow they are all hatching. Though shouldn't she be sat on those eggs now they are pipping?

 

[LaFleche]

shouldn't she be sat on those eggs now they are pipping?

That is what an experienced broody would do. But do not worry, as soon as she will be back on the eggs the required humidity will be up again. Just relax and let her do her thing.

 

[aart]

So now it's day 24 and no chicks yet (she sat on the eggs 30th July)....however, she has just come up for food again. So I thought I would take a peek under the loose boards whilst she's off the nest....we have at least 1 external pipp! (Can't quite see) A few eggs rocking about and lots of peeping from the eggs so hopefully by tomorrow they are all hatching. Though shouldn't she be sat on those eggs now they are pipping?

Ehhh....maybe.
My last broody had a quick but vigorous constitutional the day her eggs started pipping.
She was like "ohcrap better go crap, dust, and drink before they start coming out!"