HELP! MY BROODING HENS WERE KILLED! DESPERATE ADVICE ASAP! PLEASE

[sweetgashine]

Hi! We were out of town and my father in law was watching our chickens. We went out to check on them this evening as normal and they had all been killed by some animal. Our son was devastated. Let me get to the point, our bantam was brooding. I marked her eggs with the date with a pencil. I have candled them and there is major formation. The earliest one is dated 3/12, 3/13. 3/14. I live in Gainesville Ga northeast of ATL. We have been having colder than normal temps here. My chickens were in a coop that was inside my father in laws old chicken house. He knows he say them on Sat and said he heard our roosters crowing this morning. My question, can the eggs still be saved? I see some that are only a few days old forming darkness inside the eggs. I don't think they will but what about the others? My husband and I calculated they would hatch the week after easter. We don't have an incubator or anything. I have them in hay in a bucket with a towel over them and on top of a heating pad on low (sorry didn't know what else to do). Can anyone give good detailed advice? Please? It would be great to have a chick from our much loved flock!

Thank you,
DN

 

[BlackBrookPoultry]

I think of you had an incubator they could be saved. Do you know what temp your heating pad is keeping them at?

 

[KBG204]

Could you possibly make an incubator? I know people make them from styrofoam coolers. I believe you can find a forum on here on how people make their homemade incubators.

 

[sweetgashine]

I think of you had an incubator they could be saved. Do you know what temp your heating pad is keeping them at?

HI thanks, I'm on here now reading as much as I possibly can. I saw something about temp being 100 and needing moisture like wrapping with papertowels? I'm looking for my old school thermometer (mercury kind) now. Don't know what temp it should be and didn't know anything about humidity to keep from drying out inside the egg. New to the chickens was almost 1 year of having them.

 

[sweetgashine]

Could you possibly make an incubator? I know people make them from styrofoam coolers. I believe you can find a forum on here on how people make their homemade incubators.

I'm looking to see about that one, saw where someone said about the same thing as you did. Making your own.

 

[sweetgashine]

Yep. Temps exactly 100. Is that a good temp? Gonna keep looking for answers!

 

[thaiturkey]

I'm sorry for your loss. I know how it feels.

Until you get an incubator, turn the eggs frequently.

You need to investigate what happened. It could happen again.

 

[Doug Hodges]

go spend 50 bucks on a little giant or something and put them in. good luck

 

[sweetgashine]

I'm sorry for your loss. I know how it feels.

Until you get an incubator, turn the eggs frequently.

You need to investigate what happened. It could happen again.

Thank you so much! We have never had problems unlike our misfortunate friends who keep loosing their chickens to weasels, fox or coyotes. We started remodeling my father in laws chicken house to make into a barn type thing. We've been taking down the chicken wire and covering for the past few weeks. They are still in separate coops in the chicken house. My son was with me today when he and I discovered them and he was so devastated. We didn't stay long. My husband who is a fire fighter will be home in the morning, we will go back and see what happened. A few chickens are missing. Mainly the big mean rooster we had. He would charge you every time you went in there. I had to carry a stick when I would feed, etc. to keep him away. Was told he looked like he had cock fighter in him. Don't know if true but he was mean as one! Turn frequently means...every hour, 2 3 x's a day? Not sure as I'm a new hatch when it comes to chickens!

 

[BlackBrookPoultry]

Keep them at 99-100 degrees. Don't worry about humidity for now. But see if you can get an incubator tomorrow. Either buy or borrow one. You can candle to see if there is veining and movement to verify they are alive before investing in one.