How long can momma be off her nest before the eggs die?

[LaSombra]

My blue orpington has been on the nest for a little over a week now and we're hoping for a Christmas hatch...

This morning, she got off the nest, though, for more time than normal, and I was worried that maybe the eggs would get too cold in her absence. I put them in my sweatshirt pocket until she went back on and then slipped them back under her. I took that opportunity to go in the house and mark them so I'll know for sure which ones they are in case any of the other hens try laying on top of her (which has happened a couple times already). I hope the eggs were warm enough with me and that they're still growing well. I was careful not to jostle them around too much...


I just realized that I should probably candle them to see if there really are chicks inside. Not sure exactly how to do that, though. Dark room with flashlight behind the egg maybe?

Anyway, just wondering how cold the eggs can get before they die or stop growing...

 

[Chickie'sMoma]

i've heard of ladies doing a bra hatch so we know that human body warmth is enough to keep eggs warm enough. as for the candling. i have a Ryobi flashlight that i took a piece of cardboard from a soda box, made it just big enough to fit over the light part, cut a dime sized hole into it and taped it over the light to use as a candling light. works fine!

as for the time off the nest i haven't done that yet. my girls have just started laying and i think one girl may go broody this winter so i'll be watching for information from others on this.

 

[LaSombra]

bra hatch? hehe, now that's cute

Maybe I should try that someday. haha

 

[Mahonri]

Quote:
I think we had a couple of cleavage hatches on here... one actually went to a different forum to talk about it cuz this is after all a family friendly site.

 

[chickenmeadow]

Just picked up a pocket sized led flashlight (small size doesn't slip out of my hand) & it's real handy for candling quickly, but any bright flashlight works. Just grasp/hold it in your hand with the light facing the ceiling/sky, make a circle with your thumb & first/index finger touching for the light to shine thru, lay the egg in that circle/cupped & look for dark mass at day 7 (or 10 better), day 14 & day 18 (don't touch the eggs after that). If the egg seems translucent like, instead of seeing any dark mass then it probably isn't fertile. By the way, if you candle & think you have some fertile, maybe you'd like to post at the "Official Christmas Hatch c'mon & join" thread. Good luck, I just adore Orpingtons.

 

[LaSombra]

Quote:
Thank you

I didn't know there was a Christmas Hatch thread. I guess I should have looked for it! Yeah, I love Gilly. She's such a special, sweet girl

The eggs she's setting on are not hers, though, and she's my only orpington. The moms are an EE and a red star. I chose those because I know they're popular with the roosters and have large enough eggs. Gilly still is laying smaller eggs. The daddy is most likely Pikachu, a buff Wyandotte (handsome boy) but could possibly be Gallo, an EE roo, also a nice boy

Next year, I might aim for getting a couple more orpingtons, based on Gilly. Love the fluffiness and she's get a perfect temperament. I have a variety of breeds and love them all. I'd like to get a marans or two and a few polish next year. I'd like even more variety in egg color and love those "hairdos" on the polish

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

I know for a fact that they can get below 60*F over 24 hours an still hatch.

 

[chickenmeadow]

LaSombra: Here's the thread for the countdown if interested, best wishes.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=3314446#p3314446

 

[LaSombra]

thanks

 

[Akane]

Preferably when candling I try to finish within 10mins and get them back in the bator. A hen isn't going to cool like a bator though and won't need time to come up to temp so longer should be fine. I've also had eggs sit overnight and through the morning to afternoon when it was around 60-70F out after the broody was killed that night. Every egg hatched in my incubator later. Unless you currently have our weather of between -5 and 20F I wouldn't worry about how long the hen chooses to be off her nest so long as she goes back.