How much damage has been done?

[Kanga77510]

The kids were outside playing today and I was inside folding laundry. My son came in and informed me that a chicken had bit him. We have two hens setting eggs right now and I knew right away that's what he was talking about. Here's the story:

Daughter was digging in the empty flower bed. She decided that Chip needed some dirt on her nest, so she placed the shovel under the hen and dumped the dirt (shovel in question was a normal size garden shovel). Two eggs were smashed in all this, I found the remains of a chick in one shell. The remaining eggs had a mix of dirt, yolk, and straw on them. I cleaned the remaining eggs with warm water and a cloth. Chip was off the nest while I was doing this, and I hope she returns.

I don't know how my daughter managed to get the shovel under the hen without doing more damage. Honestly I'm glad we only lost two. Unless Chip decides that she's done setting and leaves the nest, then we've lost all those eggs.

Did I do anything to harm the eggs by washing them off? There was a lot of yolk and mess in there, I thought it would be worse to leave the crud in there, and have mold and stuff growing in there vs. cleaning up real quick. Man, I hope Chip goes back to the nest. I was getting hopeful about having some babies around here.

 

[FuzzyButtsFarm]

I'm sorry about your dilemma, but the first thing you should do is educate your children about the chickens. If they are to young to comprehend than its up to you to see to it that they leave the chickens alone or make them inaccessible to the children . It could have been your child's eye the hen pecked at. Sorry I'm an old timer and tell it like it is.

 

[mstricer]

It doesn't hurt to try. But you should explain to the kids that they might not hatch. Good luck I hope things go well.
MIchele

 

[Kanga77510]

My daughter is 8, and we do talk to her about the chickens, she feels terrible about this and so do I.

 

[teach1rusl]

Well, I probably would have left most of the mess myself, because I am afraid of washing. But if you found a chick in one of the eggs, then they must be pretty far along, and so maybe washing will have no effect??? Your biggest issue I think will be whether your hen goes back on the nest or not. If she doesn't, didn't you say you have two broodies??? You could sneak a few under her to try to finish if they've been sitting about the same amount of time...

 

[Kanga77510]

I just checked on her and Chip is back to setting. I guess she needed her once or twice a day stretch break about the same time I needed to clean up the mess. Her eggs were placed under her on the 5th, so we're about a week and a half into the incubation time.