Interrupted incubation by broody hen

[bluedog6]

Quick intro since I just signed up to the forum. I got my 1st chickens in 2000. I keep about 40-50 layers to sell eggs at a farmers market (my husband and I also have a produce farm). Most of my hens are the standard commercial red-sex link brown egg layer. They are housed in a barn that is locked up at night but the chickens free range in the afternoon and evening. And because I do enjoy my "yard aquarium" as i call it, I have a few other hens of different breeds for a splash of color and a few roosters (I have 4 right now). Most of the hens are on a cycle. About half are first years layers and half are second year layers. After they are done with their 2nd year of laying, hens get butchered for "stew hens". Each year I buy day old layer chicks to replace the outgoing hens and the cycle continues. Also if I have a hen that goes broody, I will let her set on and hatch eggs. The pullets are kept for egg layers and the roosters are butchered (unless I need a new roo). I also raised 50-100 broilers each summer that are finished on pasture in movable pens. We butcher our chickens ourselves.

I also have a few what I call "pet" hens. These are hens that I have kept because they have enamored me with a quirky personality, or some other reason that makes them stand out. These hens have names and they do not get butchered with the rest and they live their life out on the farm. I actually only have two right now.

Now for my question: One of my pet hens is a Buff Orpington named Mama Buffy. She has hatched out chicks for me the last 5 summers. This year would be her 6th year to hatch eggs. When she went broody a couple weeks ago I moved her into the pen where I house hens separately when I want them to hatch chicks. On day 8 of incubation (this past Thursday), I found her off the eggs in the afternoon just lounging in the coop. I checked the nest box and she had pooped in the corner. Only one of the 8 eggs was contaminated. I removed that egg, cleaned the nest box, put in fresh bedding and Mama Buffy jumped back in and settled down on the eggs. As far as I could tell she was on the eggs that night, all of day 9 (Friday) and night number 9. She was on the eggs the morning of day 10 but on the afternoon of day 10 (Saturday, yesterday), once again she was off the eggs lounging in the coop. The eggs were cool to the touch. Daytime highs during this period have been in the lower 80s.

I just so happen to have a young hen that has gone broody for the first time. Yesterday afternoon, I took the incubating eggs and put them under the new broody hen (who was in the regular coop where all the layers live). She sat on the eggs the rest of the afternoon yesterday. Last night after dark I moved the new broody and eggs into the other pen that is separate from the other hens and Mama Buffy is now back with the rest of the flock. This morning the new broody hen is still setting on the eggs. Since she is a new broody I am not sure how she is going to react being moved to a new location but so far so good.

I'm going to give it a couple days to make sure the new broody is going to stay put. Should I .......?????
1. Let her continue to sit on the eggs that Mama Buffy started to brood.

or
2. Should I discard the eggs that had their incubation interrupted and start over with fresh eggs.

One other piece of information. I cracked open the egg that was all contaminated with poop and it had a nicely developing embryo in it.

Thanks for any and all opinions. I have a couple days before I need to make a decision.

 

[Flamens Farm]

Welcome to BYC and I am sure someone with a lot more knowledge than I will answer your question for you soon.

 

[Pyxis]

Candle the eggs to see if they're still alive. If they are, then let the new broody finish them. If not, give her new eggs

 

[bluedog6]

Candle the eggs to see if they're still alive. If they are, then let the new broody finish them. If not, give her new eggs

That's a really good idea but you are asking me to do something I suck at (candling eggs). LOL!!!! OK I will try. I assume if they are alive I will see movement when I am candling them? I've candled eggs before but I rarely do it because I don't have much need to do it. Really though, that is a good idea. I'll wait until dark tonight. This particular hen is MEAN! She has a wicked bite when you put your hand anywhere near her.

 

[Flamens Farm]

That's a really good idea but you are asking me to do something I suck at (candling eggs). LOL!!!! OK I will try. I assume if they are alive I will see movement when I am candling them? I've candled eggs before but I rarely do it because I don't have much need to do it. Really though, that is a good idea. I'll wait until dark tonight. This particular hen is MEAN! She has a wicked bite when you put your hand anywhere near her.

I have one on the nest right now and when I went to candle the eggs 2 nights ago she got me good on the hand. So I know what you mean. Best of luck and hope the embryos are still ok.

 

[bluedog6]

Well that was an adventure for this inexperienced candler. A couple of the eggs are from my Ameraucana. Couldn't see much. The Welsummer hen's eggs were only slightly better. I could tell something was in them but was so hard to see. I finally went to one of the other brown eggs and was able to see the vessels and the embryo moving! Yay! So I'm just going to let Miss Meanie continue to set on these eggs.

And back in the regular coop where the rest of the flock is living, Mama Buffy is back to setting in a nest box. Really? *facepalm* I might be able to rig up a "pen within a pen" to try her again if she continues. Never a dull moment. LOL

Thanks Pyxis for your answer!

 

[bluedog6]

Just thought I'd give an update. Of the 7 eggs, 4 hatched nice healthy chicks. I open the 3 eggs that did not hatch just enough to see there was no fully developed chick inside. I do not normally hatch eggs so I wasn't really interested if they were fertile or not. 2 of the unhatched eggs were from the same hen though. The eggs were set on the evening of Wednesday May 16th and hatched during the night/early morning Thursday June 7th.

Thanks again for the help and suggesting candling the eggs. I'm glad I didn't throw them out and start over.

 

[ChirpyChicks1]