I need your help please!

domenica · May 3, 2015

Hello,
Today my black swedish hen hatched three babies. But I found two other eggs that were opened and the ducklings inside were dead

Yesterday I checked her and she had only two eggs almost ready to hatch and three more cracked so I said let her be in peace until this morning...

This is what happened and now I feel responsible and sad and I feel so bad about her and her babies. This is her very first attempt about being a mother and I have no idea about helping her in hatching, if I could, I would have sit on her eggs with her while she was waiting there patiently...

Anyway, she had 12 eggs, two days ago she broke one. it was a bad one, so I assumed she knew what she was doing... She is left with six eggs now which I cannot hear at all, though they look darker and they are a bit heavy. She is at her 26th day. One egg seemed to be colder while the rest (5) were warmer...
What should I do? What shall I expect? And will there be more babies? Will there be more dead babies??? Why did that happen?

I am a starter and my hen is really young too! I have no clue! Please help!!!

sourland · May 3, 2015

First time mothers sometimes make mistakes. The ducklings may have left the nest, and she may have followed them causing the other eggs to become chilled. You did nothing wrong. This falls into the category of 'stuff happens'. It is somewhat unlikely that the other eggs are viable. Good luck with your/her brood.