How long until i trash the eggs?

[Sunshinechickies]

There is a lot of black and a small amount of veins near the air cell, no internal pip though. It did look like my last batch when they where at around day 18, but my hen was broody a bit over 4 weeks ago, as you can probably tell I am pretty new to incubating and this is only my second batch, but my first one with a broody hen. Since she sat on so many do you think they just developed a bit slower?

I would post a picture but I don’t want to mess with them too much and I didn’t take a picture earlier

 

[Sunshinechickies]

I wouldn’t really mess with it. This is how i view hatching: If they are strong enough to come out, they are strong enough to survive.

Meaning if they can break out of the egg and look well you have no reason to mess with them, leave them be, if worst comes to worst and something is really wrong and they seem to be suffering, cull them.

Is there anyway you could post a picture of the egg candling photos here? People here would be able to easily tell what day it is and it might be a lot less then you think it is.

I totally would, but my chickens are kept at a farm and not my house, it is not too far of a drive so if I go tomorrow I will post a picture.

 

[Chicken poppy]

There is a lot of black and a small amount of veins near the air cell, no internal pip though. It did look like my last batch when they where at around day 18, but my hen was broody a bit over 4 weeks ago, as you can probably tell I am pretty new to incubating and this is only my second batch, but my first one with a broody hen. Since she sat on so many do you think they just developed a bit slower?

Something like one of these?

How many are under her? If something crazy like 30, then it would be wonky because it would be very un even. If its something like 8 then no.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

 

[Sunshinechickies]

Something like one of these? View attachment 3403451

How many are under her? If something crazy like 30, then it would be wonky because it would be very un even. If it’s something like 8 then no.

Thank you! They look most like the bottom right one. She has about 20 eggs underneath her and she is a bantam silkie, I was not planning on having this many but she kind of did it on her own so I let her.

 

[Sunshinechickies]

 

[AmeliaBedelia]

Keep us updated!

 

[Chicken poppy]

Thank you! They look most like the bottom right one. She has about 20 eggs underneath her and she is a bantam silkie, I was not planning on having this many but she kind of did it on her own so I let her.

20 is a lot of eggs.
Are the eggs sticking out from under her? If so, I would remove 8 eggs if they are hers. I would have done this earlier before they developed this far, so at this point i would just remove the ones that seem dead or not properly developed if any.

Also, when they hatch, she will not take care of the chicks til the other eggs hatch. This is why you would want to remove the bad ones asap because she will still be on incubating mode til it hatches.


Well, she will keep taking and taking. If she is not separated others will lay eggs with her and she will steal other chickens eggs by rolling them or carrying them under her wing. There was a video of a chicken with 50 eggs under her.

 

[Yardmom]

How did she end up with 20 eggs? Was it because no one picked her eggs so when she went broody that is how many there were or are there other hens with access to the nest? What I would do at this point is candle eggs and leave her the ones that are closest in development. No more than 10. Then see what hatches before she gets off the nest. (If nothing happens this week candle the eggs again). Next time she goes broody please make sure she only has as many eggs as she can cover.
You can pick eggs she will still go broody. I just had one trying to hatch a golf ball Just return the eggs when she is ready to set.

 

[Sunshinechickies]

How did she end up with 20 eggs? Was it because no one picked her eggs so when she went broody that is how many there were or are there other hens with access to the nest? What I would do at this point is candle eggs and leave her the ones that are closest in development. No more than 10. Then see what hatches before she gets off the nest. (If nothing happens this week candle the eggs again). Next time she goes broody please make sure she only has as many eggs as she can cover.
You can pick eggs she will still go broody. I just had one trying to hatch a golf ball Just return the eggs when she is ready to set.

I wasn’t planning on her hatching out eggs, and there were hens who had already laid in the nesting box that I was going to collect that day, so I just let her try to hatch them out. This is my first time with a broody hen, and some of the eggs are hers so they are smaller. I will take all of the dead ones out of her and if needed I will move some to an incubator.