HELP! on day 13 my broody hen---

[Minky]

Hi folks
Yesterday my amazing broody (never leaves her 16 eggs for more than 2-3 minutes, poops, eats, drinks, back on---AND lets me candle and check her without a peck ) kicked out 3 eggs sometime between 10 am and 3 pm. (its cold here- like 40 F maybe) When i found them they were cold but not too cold. I brought them in the house, figuring nature knows best. I noticed that they were dirty- stuck with shavings. (NOT POOP) but it looked maybe like egg white/yoke had gotten on them?

Anyways, long story short- they spent the night in my garage (maybe 50 degreesF) and i went out to give her breakfast -- she got off the nest to poop and i took the whole next box out and counted, candeled a few, and noticed one had broken (only found a hunk of shell)---- so the reason she kicked the 3 eggs out yesterday was because they got covered in runny egg and probably stunk!

I cleaned out all the shavings, put in new ones, replaced remaining 12 eggs and now i am thinking i should put the other 3 back in. She is such a good broody, do you think there is a chance after 24 hours of being cold (but not frozen) that they will hatch? just a day or two later?

right now I have them under a warm wet towel, floating on warm water (but not touching the water)

Thanks

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi folks
Yesterday my amazing broody (never leaves her 16 eggs for more than 2-3 minutes, poops, eats, drinks, back on---AND lets me candle and check her without a peck ) kicked out 3 eggs sometime between 10 am and 3 pm. (its cold here- like 40 F maybe) When i found them they were cold but not too cold. I brought them in the house, figuring nature knows best. I noticed that they were dirty- stuck with shavings. (NOT POOP) but it looked maybe like egg white/yoke had gotten on them?

Anyways, long story short- they spent the night in my garage (maybe 50 degreesF) and i went out to give her breakfast -- she got off the nest to poop and i took the whole next box out and counted, candeled a few, and noticed one had broken (only found a hunk of shell)---- so the reason she kicked the 3 eggs out yesterday was because they got covered in runny egg and probably stunk!

I cleaned out all the shavings, put in new ones, replaced remaining 12 eggs and now i am thinking i should put the other 3 back in. She is such a good broody, do you think there is a chance after 24 hours of being cold (but not frozen) that they will hatch? just a day or two later?

right now I have them under a warm wet towel, floating on warm water (but not touching the water)

Thanks

In my experience with power outages... I would say they are more likely to hatch with deformities. And if they hatch later will be at a HUGE disadvantage. Stinks... but sometimes in hatching just a couple hours can be the difference between life and death.

The mom might stay on her nest waiting for the late hatchers instead of taking her others to eat and drink. Or she might leave when the others are ready and abandon those. Are they still moving when you candle?

Sometimes... life finds a way though!

 

[RodNTN]

@BantyChooks @DwayneNLiz

 

[Minky]

My kids have moved my big flashlight... . Im candling with my cell phone.....and i see what i think is very small movement- but not noticeable kicking. its hard- one is green egg and other two are medium brown eggs (terracotta) i see about half the egg is full, good aircell size and lots of veins. i see fetus shape....sort of. nothing too dramatic in the way of kicks.
with my iphone in a closet....

 

[Minky]

well, I did it. marked them R for rejected, and put them back under her.
Today is my day 14- i have only quickly candled all eggs last week on day 8. when do u think i should candle all of them (properly)-- is day 17 too late?- i figure that would give these 3 eggs a chance to decide to live or not, and that it would be noticeable when comparing them to the other 12 eggs ....if I do it in 3 days time on day 17?

and by then i will have a good bright flashlight again or i will go buy one and hide from the kids!

 

[Pat Mcaffee]

well, I did it. marked them R for rejected, and put them back under her.
Today is my day 14- i have only quickly candled all eggs last week on day 8. when do u think i should candle all of them (properly)-- is day 17 too late?- i figure that would give these 3 eggs a chance to decide to live or not, and that it would be noticeable when comparing them to the other 12 eggs ....if I do it in 3 days time on day 17?

and by then i will have a good bright flashlight again or i will go buy one and hide from the kids!

Your last day to candle should really be day 18- after that, the chicks need time to start positioning themselves for the hatch. I would say day 17 is best and for future reference, most hens should really only care for, at most, 12 eggs and sometimes if a mother rejects an egg, she did it for a reason. Don't be disappointed if the eggs don't hatch or are deformed as the crisis may have not even caused this. Good luck!

 

[mortie]

I had a broody that kicked 2 eggs out of her nest consistently. Every time I went out there, those two were kicked out and stone cold and I'd put them back, and it was colder than that here. They hatched a little later than the others, but they did hatch and the chicks were fine, zero deformities. One was a girl and one was a boy. I would just leave them under her and not worry about it. It is what it is at this point right?

 

[ChickNanny13]