Help!!!! First Time Momma Hen and hatcher!

[mommalou14]

We are on day 23 & nothing. I pulled two Americauna eggs yesterday because they smelled rotten. One never developed & had died during the process. I have candeled, but they're dark so you can't see anything of signifigance. I went down first thing this morning and still no progress & I went back a couple of hours later and this Americauna egg has a small hole and leaking fluid. It smells slightly but not anything that makes me not be able to take it. The liquid appears clear with a little brown. Do I need to pull it or let it sit? I'm so lost on this.

 

[Chicken Chat]

It shouldn't smell at all in my experience. If you can't see inside the eggs, you may have infertile or quitters if it's day 23. Have you tried to hold to your ear to see if you can hear tapping or chirps?

 

[mommalou14]

I know they're fertile, but no I don't hear any chirping.

 

[mommalou14]

It shouldn't smell at all in my experience. If you can't see inside the eggs, you may have infertile or quitters if it's day 23. Have you tried to hold to your ear to see if you can hear tapping or chirps?

It was a quitter like the first Americauna I pulled yesterday. Now I'm not sure what to do with the remaining 3 eggs. Pull & let her take a new clutch or let them sit a little longer.

 

[Chicken Chat]

It would not be good on your mamma to sit another clutch. Brooding really takes a lot out of them and they loose weight and condition. You could giver her some day olds to raise or give her a break. I've never had any take longer than 21 days to hatch and since you are not hearing any noises inside the egg, it doesn't look real good. You could see if she will sit a bit longer but I have a feeling, she will leave the nest.

 

[Foristers]

Toss that egg. Healthy chicks come right out - no liquid.
If you get to day 23 and do not have chicks then chances are those eggs are no good. They can explode so I would get them out of there soon. If you know someone with chicks just a few days old then she might "adopt" them if you really want baby chicks this year but I would not put her through another 3 weeks of nest brooding. The poor thing could loose too much weight.

 

[mommalou14]

Thanks y'all! We don't have to have chicks, we just thought we would let nature run its course since she went broody. This is a learning experience for us so I'll do more research on broody hens.