Hens Ignoring their eggs?

[trueblueshowgirl]

Seriously? The eggs must be kept between 99 and 100 degrees F. Unless you're running a mild fever for the next 21 days, you won't be able to incubate the eggs under your shirt. (???) I've truly never heard of this. Got a good chuckle from it, though!

I found that hatching eggs takes a huge amount of patience. Patience to wait for a hen to become broody. And then patience while she sets for three weeks- and with you not disturbing the nest. Even then, if a predator disturbs the nest, it may fail. Or if another hen decides to pick on the setting hen, it may fail. If you get a bad storm and she deserts the nest for a night, it may fail. Still, the more you can just forget about things, the more succesful you'll be at getting those eggs to hatch with your hens.

The reward- getting your first chicks- is so worth it, though!

That said, I have a MUCH MUCH better hatch rate with my broody hens then I do with an incubator. I really recommend Silkie hens for setting. I can mess with the nest (to clean it or count eggs), remove and candle the eggs, pick the hen up, etc... as much as I want and those girls are unfazed- they just set and set and set.

If your three eggs were being set when you removed them, they had begun to develop. Once they became chilled, the developing embryo died. Sorry for the bad news. You'll have to start over with new eggs. Hopefully your roo is doing his job!

 

[Katy]

Quote:
So what happens when you roll over in the middle of the night?

Seriously, I'm not sure if we're being punked or what.

 

[Hopefully]

Haha no not punked!!! This is all serious business, I would do anything for an animal! Luckily, I don't roll over at night, I sleep flat on my back.

But seriously, don't worry, this is no joke!

 

[Hopefully]

I know the chances seem unlikely but I'm pretty sure I can pull this off. I feel a huge responsibility for these eggs as if they were my own. It may not work but I've got to try.

Who knows? It may work!

 

[trueblueshowgirl]

Did you catch my post where they need to be kept at a constant 100 degrees? Even if you kept them in your ear - or another delicate area when a temperature can be read- they wouldn't be warm enough to hatch.

:?

Yup, methinks we have a troll. No more food from me!

 

[Katy]

So did you just get these chickens....or is this a new issue that you don't want to eat the eggs?

 

[Southernbelle]

Actually we have had a person on this board successfully hatch eggs by tucking them in her bra. I think the post was eventually deleted because the discussion got offensive. She slept in a recliner to keep from rolling on them. She had an incubator she would put them in sometimes to give herself a break. Personally, I'd wait for a broody hen.

Before hatching:
1. Are your eggs fertile? Have you cracked one open and seen the bullseye?
2. Are your girls new layers? First pullet eggs aren't the most desireable to hatch - they usually need a few weeks to get their bodies organized before they start laying eggs suitable to hatch.
3. Where they lay the eggs is where they will go broody - they won't go looking for the eggs if you move them. If you want them to brood somewhere else, train them to lay in that spot before they go broody.
4. Broodiness is entirely hormonal. If they want to go broody they will sit on absolutely nothing and you can't stop them, so leaving eggs out for them is a waste of good eggs. It's best to wait for the broody first, then give them eggs.

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

What kind of chickens do you have? Some breeds just don't have the desire to go broody at all.

 

[farrier!]

Quote:
This was my question too....

I started with a nonbroody breed and it exploded from there...

Lots of cute birds.

 

[Katy]

Quote:
My response to that is why? Just to say it's possible? Personally I can't imagine wanting to devote (waste!) 21+ days of my life to something that is 99.999999% of the
time going to result in failure.