Hen sat on eggs for 4-5 days before abandoning. Would you still eat the eggs?

[citychicks99]

One of my hens got broody in one of the nest boxes and the other hens continued laying eggs in it. I cut a hole in one of those storage totes as their nesting box and stacked them one on top of another and they love the one on top. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to tell which eggs she had been laying on and I was concerned about the height for the baby chicks so when she got up I marked the eggs with a pencil and moved the tote on the floor to the other side of the coop and put a cardboard box on top of the previous one for the other hens. She came back and sat on them at first but in the evening she came out and went back to perch with the other chickens. I think she may have abandoned the eggs. I thought if I didn't touch the eggs and moved the whole thing she wouldn't mind. I'm not too heart broken since it was her idea but I'm wondering what to do with the eggs. I think by day 4-5 you could see a blood speck. Would you still eat the eggs? Would she get broody again if I move the box back on top to where it was previously?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

By that day, there will be a heart at the very least, likely the formation of other limbs. At day 7, I can see a small embryo when I check eggs after incubation

 

[citychicks99]

By that day, there will be a heart at the very least, likely the formation of other limbs. At day 7, I can see a small embryo when I check eggs after incubation

Oh gosh, I don't think I could eat that. Well, good thing I checked again before I went inside for the night because she's back on the eggs.

 

[Hopeful homesteader]

By day 3 I can see veins when candling the eggs so I absolutely would not eat them. I mark mine with a colored pencil cause regular pencil has rubbed off while they're under the hen. As a general rule, pull all the eggs daily until you're ready to let the hen sit, some hens may not be committed to staying so it helps to wait at least 3-5 days before giving her eggs to make sure she won't abandon them. While you wait those 3-5 days you can collect some eggs and leave them on the counter, if she stays then mark the eggs and put them under her, if she doesn't stay then they are safe to eat. This way all eggs are marked ahead of time and they are all set out at the same time so you don't end up with a staggered hatch. Then just collect all unmarked eggs daily so they don't start incubating. Staggered hatches are a problem because when the chicks start hatching the hen will only stay on the nest for about 3 days before she starts taking the chicks out to eat and drink so any eggs that start incubating late will end up abandoned and die before reaching their hatch day. I'm glad she went back to the nest, I hope she has a successful hatch.

 

[citychicks99]

By day 3 I can see veins when candling the eggs so I absolutely would not eat them. I mark mine with a colored pencil cause regular pencil has rubbed off while they're under the hen. As a general rule, pull all the eggs daily until you're ready to let the hen sit, some hens may not be committed to staying so it helps to wait at least 3-5 days before giving her eggs to make sure she won't abandon them. While you wait those 3-5 days you can collect some eggs and leave them on the counter, if she stays then mark the eggs and put them under her, if she doesn't stay then they are safe to eat. This way all eggs are marked ahead of time and they are all set out at the same time so you don't end up with a staggered hatch. Then just collect all unmarked eggs daily so they don't start incubating. Staggered hatches are a problem because when the chicks start hatching the hen will only stay on the nest for about 3 days before she starts taking the chicks out to eat and drink so any eggs that start incubating late will end up abandoned and die before reaching their hatch day. I'm glad she went back to the nest, I hope she has a successful hatch.

Good call on the colored pencils. I'll remark them later today when she gets up. This wasn't planned by me so I'm just going to have to deal with a staggered hatch. I counted 12 eggs yesterday and on the first day she started brooding there were already 4 eggs and we have 4 other laying hens so I think they should all hatch within 3-4 days of each other. Hopefully the other hens won't continue laying there. And thank you!! She was also hatched by her mama hen and it was such a joy to see her and her siblings grow up.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Good call on the colored pencils. I'll remark them later today when she gets up. This wasn't planned by me so I'm just going to have to deal with a staggered hatch. I think they were all laid within the same 3-4 days so I think most of them should be fine. I counted 12 eggs yesterday since some of them aren't hers. Hopefully the other hens won't continue laying there.

They will. You'll have to just continue taking the extras out

 

[Hopeful homesteader]

Good call on the colored pencils. I'll remark them later today when she gets up. This wasn't planned by me so I'm just going to have to deal with a staggered hatch. I counted 12 eggs yesterday and on the first day she started brooding there were already 4 eggs and we have 4 other laying hens so I think they should all hatch within 3-4 days of each other. Hopefully the other hens won't continue laying there. And thank you!! She was also hatched by her mama hen and it was such a joy to see her and her siblings grow up.

I understand, I'm in the same position myself with a staggered hatch. I just had a baby in Feb so I stopped caring for the flock and my husband took over for me and I came back to 5 broodies and dozens of unmarked eggs. I moved 3 into broody coops and the other 2 I've left in their coops and divided up the eggs as best I could. I candled all the eggs and tried grouping them together based on how similar the development looks so hopefully they're gonna hatch within a few days of each other. Yesterday the first group hatched, 6 chicks and the hen is still sitting on the last egg. I think he got a little too carried away with chicken math lol

 

[citychicks99]

I understand, I'm in the same position myself with a staggered hatch. I just had a baby in Feb so I stopped caring for the flock and my husband took over for me and I came back to 5 broodies and dozens of unmarked eggs. I moved 3 into broody coops and the other 2 I've left in their coops and divided up the eggs as best I could. I candled all the eggs and tried grouping them together based on how similar the development looks so hopefully they're gonna hatch within a few days of each other. Yesterday the first group hatched, 6 chicks and the hen is still sitting on the last egg. I think he got a little too carried away with chicken math lol

Wow, sounds like you're going to have a huge flock soon. Good thing you have the space for it. Are you going to keep all the chickens or sell some of them? My mom was against letting the hen hatch more chicks because they eat so much but I don't mind it.

 

[Hopeful homesteader]

Wow, sounds like you're going to have a huge flock soon. Good thing you have the space for it. Are you going to keep all the chickens or sell some of them? My mom was against letting the hen hatch more chicks because they eat so much but I don't mind it.

We'll keep all the pullets for now and possibly 1 cockerel. My husband has a work friend that's been trying to get some hens but he doesn't have the necessary items to raise chicks so we offered some to him when they're a little older but otherwise they'll be part of our flock. We have no plans to sell any but we offer eggs and hens to anyone that needs it, the last few years haven't been easy for a lot of people so we just want to help.