Help=will my eggs ever hatch?

[2overeasy]

I had an Austrolorp go broody on the 1st of this month. She was sitting on 5 eggs, and I gave her 2 more the next day. On Tuesday the 22nd - exactly 21 days later - 1 egg hatched and I have 1 little yellow chick. Today is the 26th and no more have hatched. Actually, I picked the hen up today to see the status of the eggs, to see if any had pipped and 1 looked like it had been smashed. the shell was all broken and I peeled back a little of the shell and found a partially formed chick inside and it smelled awful!
So I don't know what to do. Mama and baby are in a box on the floor with a chick feeder and fountain, and the baby chick comes out and pecks around and eats from the feeder. I dipped her beak in the water. But mama doesn't seem inclined to move from the nest yet. It's her first batch of eggs. How long before I simply take the eggs from her and get rid of them?
I know hens are supposed to know when they are not going to hatch, so I want to just trust her, but I want her to tend to the one baby she does have.
Any suggestions!

 

[lotzahenz]

I've found hens are not very smart most of the time, especially first time moms. Pick up each egg and shake it gently, if it moves, toss it. Crack it to be sure you were correct, if it is solid when you shake, put it back, but it is unlikely that eggs will hatch so long after the first chick is out. I bet they are not good any longer. Caution, they will be very foul and may explode on you in the heat, I toss mine in the compost pile a few feet away, just in case. They go POP if they are rotten. Once you take the eggs away you hen should resume being a mom and not an incubator.

Cheers, HenZ

 

[Kedreeva]

You can also crack them inside a sealed ziploc baggie to prevent explosion mess. If you do happen to be wrong it's less trauma than throwing it.

 

[2overeasy]

Thanks to both of you.
Kedreeva - what do you mean if I happen to be wrong? You mean wrong about it begin a dud? Do it in a baggie in case there's a chick inside?

 

[rancher hicks]

I they haven't hatched by day 26 they aren't likely to. Just take them at night and leave her with the one chick.

I only mention this because there seem to be many who interfere to much with their broodies. Hens can and do hatch just fine by themselves. There is no need to candle eggs. No need to check the eggs and bother the hen. They will lose an occasional chick or have an unhatched egg. This is nothing to fret about. Iv'e had two incubator chicks w/ deformities and I wonder if a broody can tell if there is a problem or not. Or whether an egg is not fertile, pushing it to the outside and giving it less attention. It would not surprise me. They are smarter than we give them credit.

 

[2overeasy]

I've basically left her alone til now, aside from moving her and the chick/eggs to a place where they can each food and water. I guess I'll take her eggs tomorrow night. Thanks, All, for the advice.