How to save eggs

[abraga]

If the eggs are close to hatching you may have a chance without a incubator. If you can keep them warm..temp at around 100 degrees they have a chance. Do u have a heat lamp or other source for heat? It may not be an ideal situation ..but if the eggs are close to hatching and you are determined you could possibly save/hatch a few.

 

[lpatelski]

You can always wire up an incubator for yourself. Cost less than 50.00. Turn the eggs by hand or make a rolling rack. I've exclusively raised chicks this way for going on three years.

 

[Spiderduck]

@Ipatelski
Thanks so much! But i dont have the time or equipment to make one.
Oh well the eggs were not meant to be.

 

[Spiderduck]

@abraga thanks

But i simply dont have the time to save them so im just going to let them go. I dont know.

 

[bobbi-j]

Unfortunately, I think you're right. At this point, you don't know how long the hen has been dead, or how long the eggs have been cold. Add to that the time to purchase or build an incubator (I don't know about you, but it's about 1/2 hour one way from here to anywhere I could get one, and this time of year it's not likely they'd have them anyway). I'm sorry about your hen.

 

[Miss717]

Don't know if you have already disposed of the eggs, but could you take the chicks away from your other broody and see if she will sit on the eggs? Put the chicks under a heat lamp and give them food and water.

 

[bobbi-j]

Don't know if you have already disposed of the eggs, but could you take the chicks away from your other broody and see if she will sit on the eggs? Put the chicks under a heat lamp and give them food and water.

I doubt that will work. That hen has moved on from being broody to raising her babies.

 

[Miss717]

I doubt that will work. That hen has moved on from being broody to raising her babies.

Isn't a hen that is raising chicks still broody?

 

[bobbi-j]

Isn't a hen that is raising chicks still broody?

In my opinion, no. I think "broody" refers to the period in which she wants to sit on and hatch eggs. I hope someone will correct me if I'm mistaken here. I just know in my experience, once the chicks have hatched, my mama hens take them off the nest and don't look back. They will even abandon eggs that don't hatch after a day or so when the others are done. Mine will return to the nest at night with the babies, but spend the day taking the babies out for food, water and free ranging.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

In my opinion, no. I think "broody" refers to the period in which she wants to sit on and hatch eggs. I hope someone will correct me if I'm mistaken here. I just know in my experience, once the chicks have hatched, my mama hens take them off the nest and don't look back. They will even abandon eggs that don't hatch after a day or so when the others are done. Mine will return to the nest at night with the babies, but spend the day taking the babies out for food, water and free ranging.

It is problematic that the hen will even return to the nest in which she hatched her brood.

Perhaps the reproductive period of hens should be divided into 3 parts.
(1.) Laying, (when eggs are produced)
(2.) Brooding, (when incubation takes place)
(3.) And finally Klucking (the stage when Mama hen squires their babies around)