Hen eating eggs? Cracking eggs? Hatch date 5 days away. Help!

[geowoman]

I have two broody hens. One, a BO, is sitting stalwart on her three eggs and being the perfect broody mama I would expect. The other, an EE (and the lowest ranked hen in my flock) is having some issues. I know for a fact that the other hens have been in there cracking/eating her eggs. I found the shells in the yard, pecked/broken eggs in the nest and dead chicken embryos in the coop. Ugh. I cleaned the nest yesterday and quarantined my EE, who was sitting on 4 eggs. This morning I found her sitting on 3 eggs and one totally disgusting mess. (We're on day 14ish)

Do I let her try to hatch the remaining 3? Or do I put them under the BO, even though she's about 4 days behind? Can I put them under the BO and when I hear cheeping put them back under EE and wait for them to hatch? Or will the cheeping trigger the BO to stop setting on her eggs?

My other concern is that the remaining eggs are covered with the goop from the previously broken embryos. I've tried my best to clean them off but I don't want to wash them because I would imagine that the cuticle would be removed and that would leave them susceptible to other things. Am I correct in thinking that?

p.s. I don't have an incubator, but might be able to get my hands on one.

Thanks so much for any suggestions!!! These are my first broodies.

 

[Gracies ducks]

hi ,



I read your post and i think the best thing to do is put any uncracked eggs in an incubator,

I think any feed store would have them ,I got a good one for $20.


best wishes,
mackenzie




ps. the goo on the eggs wont do any harm if it is not from itself

 

[geowoman]

Thanks! I think I will do that. Can I just slip them back under her once they've hatched? I'll check out the forums on that... I'm sure there are tons.

 

[AmericanMom]

I have two broody hens. One, a BO, is sitting stalwart on her three eggs and being the perfect broody mama I would expect. The other, an EE (and the lowest ranked hen in my flock) is having some issues. I know for a fact that the other hens have been in there cracking/eating her eggs. I found the shells in the yard, pecked/broken eggs in the nest and dead chicken embryos in the coop. Ugh. I cleaned the nest yesterday and quarantined my EE, who was sitting on 4 eggs. This morning I found her sitting on 3 eggs and one totally disgusting mess. (We're on day 14ish)

Do I let her try to hatch the remaining 3? Or do I put them under the BO, even though she's about 4 days behind? Can I put them under the BO and when I hear cheeping put them back under EE and wait for them to hatch? Or will the cheeping trigger the BO to stop setting on her eggs?

My other concern is that the remaining eggs are covered with the goop from the previously broken embryos. I've tried my best to clean them off but I don't want to wash them because I would imagine that the cuticle would be removed and that would leave them susceptible to other things. Am I correct in thinking that?

p.s. I don't have an incubator, but might be able to get my hands on one.

Thanks so much for any suggestions!!! These are my first broodies.

Maybe it has been her eating her eggs, I'm going to give her the benefit of the doubt and say that the one egg after quarantine may have been already dead or had an abnormality only she could detect? If she does it again I would probably take the remaining eggs from her and not allow her to brood again.. We are quite harsh here, we only allow the best and the strongest to breed/ brood .. We culled a female rabbit a few months ago because although she gave large litters twice she systematically killed each and everyone of her kits over a three day period.

The embroys breath through the shells, If they are saturated with goo it may very well be that they will not get enough oxygen, but do not wash them.. You could put them under the BO, were it me, I would probably try that. typically hens will sit for up to three days after the first chick hatches, but once the chicks have used up the yolk reserve she will leave remaining eggs to take care of the hatched chicks, four days is a bit.. I had this problem once and took the four remaining eggs that were behind, hatched them in the house the in the middle of the night took them back to her, slipped them under the back of her, she accepted the newbies with no problem.

 

[AmericanMom]

hi ,



I read your post and i think the best thing to do is put any uncracked eggs in an incubator,

I think any feed store would have them ,I got a good one for $20.


best wishes,
mackenzie




ps. the goo on the eggs wont do any harm if it is not from itself

why buy an incubator if she has a broody hen?

And yes, it is possible for the remaining eggs to suffocate due to the sticky good covering them, it depends on how bad it is.

 

[AmericanMom]

Let me also say, when I removed eggs from the hen (the late eggs) I did not have an available incubator (mine was full of turkey and geese eggs) I used a heat lamp and a box.. I got the temp stable at 101 and didn't bother checking humidity, when I candled a few days later and saw that two had internally piped I move everything to the bathroom, got the humidity up and waited.. out of four eggs three hatched, I waited 24 hours and then slipped those chicks under the momma hen who had four days before hatched out 4 chicks. I did it in the middle of the night and she accepted the newbies..


Here is my setup:





and here are the chicks that hatched before taking them to momma:

 

[Gracies ducks]

yes im pretty sure yoy can



gracies ducks




ps. you can check whats in the egg (if its alive) by putting a flash light next to the egg, you sould be able to see whats in them

 

[Gracies ducks]

yes your right about the goo try your best to wipe it off gently and buy the incubator so the other hen wont hurt/eat the eggs