I had a hen setting on eggs due to hatch today. She's in the big house in a nest and I decided I would move her out of there and into a small cage where she could be alone with her eggs. So, after arranging broodies around,I moved hen and eggs to the cage. This was Sat. night. Yesterday afternoon I checked on her and she was off the eggs,the eggs were strowed around and one chick was squashed,dead. The eggs were cold to the touch. I quickly(cursed myself silently)put the eggs back where they were originally and let the hen out. She was back on them a short time later. Today is hatch day. I hope it will just be delayed. I really hope I didn't kill these chicks. They are my marans eggs.
I think because it happened so close to hatch time, there is a good chance they are ok. I learned the hard way about moving them too. I did it in Feb. in New England and mine still hatched So theres a success story for encouragement