Hen abandoned eggs?

[Rowzy]

My broody hen abandoned all of her eggs. I know she has been off of them for awhile, because they are almost all completely cold. She was still sitting on them last night though, so it hasn't been over 24 hours yet. Is there anything I can do? I was thinking of putting her in a cage with the eggs (and a shoebox or something as a nest) to see if she will sit again. It seems like the other hens keep chasing her out of the nest.

These eggs are due to hatch this weekend, and I do not have an incubator to put them in.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Have you picked her up and put her back on the nest? I have had a couple get off, wander around and "forget" - I just pick them up and pop them back on the nest. They settle back down and finish brooding.

 

[Rowzy]

I have tried that, but she jumped right back off

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Oh no! Try the cage - have you candled to be sure they - the eggs - are good?

 

[Rowzy]

Hrm, just candled them (hadn't thought of that!) and I'm not sure if they are good or not. A few are clear all the way through with no veining, which I'm assuming meens they never developed. A few have oblong dark areas, and I could not see any veins. A few more were completely dark except for the air bubble and maybe a few veins showing? And 2 were cracked.

My thoughts are that 1) it was too light where I was (in the barn with no lights on and all doors shut) 2) Other hens have been laying in her nesting box, I am sure. The egg numbers increased from the original 8 to 12+, so could the partially developed ones be ones that were layed later and have started to develop? or 3) The eggs have started to develop and then something happened (like the hen being inconsistant) which made them die.
Could the ones that are cracked be pipped or could it be way too early for that?

Anybody with more experiance have ideas on the egg development?

 

[Rowzy]

Ok put her in the cage with the eggs in a box. Hopefully she will sit on them soon, but if she isn't by tomorrow morning she will go back into the coop and I will throw the eggs away

 

[teddiliza]

Throw the clear ones away, they're not fertile. How long has she been sitting on them? If it's been three weeks- those fully dark eggs could be chicks waiting to pop, but if it hasn't been very long and the eggs have an odor pitch them! If you see a dark lump with no veins, they're probably quitters. I'd pitch the cracked ones.

It could be she's abandoned them because she knows they aren't going to hatch. If she keeps getting kicked out of the nest by the other hens, that's the same way some people break up broody behavior on this site.

I have two broodies right now- both my adult hens! They usually get up and eat in the mornings, then return to the nest. One is more serious about it and pecks me and the other just growls at me.

 

[Rowzy]

She has been on the eggs since the 10th/11th.

 

[Rowzy]

She never sat on her eggs, so I am returning her to the coop and throwing out the eggs. I hope I have more success next time

 

[greyartist]

Do broodies know when to quit? I have one who got back on the wrong nest. I found her after work and put her back on but the eggs where cold. She has been on for another week but now I wonder if they are all dead from her mistake. Will she give up if none hatch?