Muscovy Hen Left Her Eggs 2 Days Before Due to Hatch. Can I Put Them Under Another Hen?? Help, PLEA

[muscovyslagter7]

We had 4 sitting Muscovy hens. One of them (Lucille) had her ducklings hatch on July 4. She had brooded in a nest in the ground in the hen house and every one of hers hatched. We had a nesting box on the wall in the hen house, and Sparkles nested in there. When we candled here eggs throughout, we had to remove 2-3 because of cracks or underdevelopment. Hers were due to hatch today or tomorrow, but I noticed last night when I got out to the hen house she wasn't sitting on them anymore. I hoped she was just taking a break, but she's still not sitting on them still this morning. I have two more broody hens that are "sharing" a nest on the ground. Can I put Sparkles' 6 abandoned eggs under these other two broodies, or is it too late? They have been without their momma's warmth for probably about 12-18 hours at this point.

Any quick help would be very appreciated! I would hate to put the eggs under the other two and have them break open (rotten) all over that nest!

 

[Majd]

Omggggggggg....... they are dead...... 12 hoursss..... 3 hours are enough for them to chill... but try it you don't know... maybe some brave ones could've make it.... put them under the broody... but most likely they are all dead... but why did you wait till morning. ... to ask us... sorry for your lost.... but try.... maybe someone survived.... I'm very annoyed. .. as my muscovy won't even lay a single egg and she's now three years old... and yours are due to hatch... then bammm :/

 

[sumi]

Chick and duck embryos are a lot tougher than we think and can survive colder temperatures for hours, if needed, with little or no harm done. I've heard of incubators getting turned off and chicks hatching in spite of getting chilled for 24 hours halfway through the incubation and I once had a misplaced egg roll out of the coop and get rained on (quite heavily). I returned it to the broody and it hatched 2 days later. Unless it was really cold outside I think the ducklings may still be o.k. Slip the eggs under your two broodies and

Keep us posted!

 

[muscovyslagter7]

Thanks for the reply. This is our first year with muscovy ducks. We have 6 hens and 2 drakes. So I am pretty ignorant when it comes to nesting habits. My scovy hens usually take a break from sitting in the evening about 20-30 minutes which was what I thought she was doing last night when I went to feed them. So I wan't too worried when she wasn't sitting... till this morning when she still wasn't back on the nest. I marked the six with a little black dot and put them under the other broodies. I'll check them in about 2-3 days and see what's up.

 

[muscovyslagter7]

Thanks so much for the helpful reply! I marked them with a tiny black dot (in case I need to remove them in a few days - as the others aren't due to hatch for another 2 weeks), and I put them under the two that are sharing a nest. They haven't rejected them. So we'll see!

 

[sumi]

I really hope they will hatch for you. You said they are due today or tomorrow?

 

[fshinggrl]

My broody stopped laying on her eggs at about day number 18/19. I candled them, got rid of some that were not developing and then put them under a different hen who was broody. Original hen decided laying on them wasn't so bad, so we had 4 chicks hatch with two mommas. Right now I have 2 broodies. I do not know how many eggs they have. just starting the brood.

 

[zakialyan]

Hey sumi can you answer my thread please

 

[muscovyslagter7]

I'm thinking no luck. I tried putting them back under their original momma when she was sitting in her nesting box and looking all over for her eggs, but the next day she left them again...fickle hen or just ignorant as I think this would have been her first brood. I put one of her eggs NEXT to the nest of the sharing hens, and the scooped it into their nest. (Much easier than removing those girls.).

 

[Majd]

Did any watch?? Pipped?? You candle thrm from the air sac to see any internal pip or shadow like movements..... if not no much hope