how do I know how far along the eggs are?

[bkvail]

I found my 'missing' welsummer hen with a clutch of 13 eggs - which are now in the incubator. She was 'missing' for approx 2 weeks, but I really didn't keep track real close - how do I know when the eggs are due so I can stop turning them at the right time?

 

[shelleyd2008]

Do you have a good candler? Are these her eggs? If she was gone for about 2 weeks, I would put the eggs in the hatcher, then maybe roll them from one side to the other once a day. If they are that far along, they are probably about ready to hatch. If they aren't that far, turning them only once won't hurt them. I found a nest in the 'garden' that I wasn't sure if the hen had been setting. I put the eggs in the bator, beside the turner (it was full). I think I might have turned them once a day, or once every other day. I still had all but 2 hatch, and of those two, one never developed and the other quit very early.

 

[bkvail]

I don't have a candler - I found her in my compost bin with the eggs (yes, they are hers, she is my only hen right now). I thought for a while I was only going to have a rooster for the winter until I could get chicks in the spring - so it was nice to find she wasn't eaten by a coyote afterall and all those eggs started for me was a plus too

Hope they hatch soon!

 

[shelleyd2008]

If you don't have a candler, then do like I said with only turning them once a day. I have had several of my eggs pip and hatch in the turner, but not turning them doesn't affect them too much this late in the game either. Could you put mama in a cage or something, and give the eggs back to her? Hen-raised chicks are so much smarter!

 

[HEChicken]

I'm curious why you took them away from her? Sounds like she was taking care of them herself?

 

[bkvail]

Quote:
I took them from her because she killed the last clutch I let her hatch. Not to mention they were in my compost bin, LOL.

 

[bkvail]

Quote:
mama hen is not a good mama - I let her hatch eggs before and she killed the babies as they hatched

 

[shelleyd2008]

Quote:
mama hen is not a good mama - I let her hatch eggs before and she killed the babies as they hatched

Ah, well, that's a good reason

Nevermind...

 

[bkvail]

well, three pipped last night and now this morning (about 12 hours later), two are just now out and one is zipping as I type. One more is pipped, hope I get more than 4 to hatch!

 

[shelleyd2008]