NEED HELP - Eggs hatching, hens laying,....

[animalspooker]

I have a Phoenix that has been sitting on 8 eggs over the last couple of weeks. 4 of them hatched this past weekend. The other three have not. These eggs have come from a conglomeration of 5 total hens. She is still sitting on the other 4 eggs, but she is getting away from the nest more and more now, and I'm worried that the others are not getting incubated. They may not even be fertile for all I know.

I built an incubator, and have moved the others into it. I don't know how far along those eggs are, and if I should be rotating (moving) them or if they're close and I should be leaving them alone.

Bottom LIne: I have 4 eggs of unknown age or origin that my Phoenix has been sitting on. I've moved them to the incubator. What do I need to do from here?

 

[austinbndr28]

I have a Phoenix that has been sitting on 8 eggs over the last couple of weeks. 4 of them hatched this past weekend. The other three have not. These eggs have come from a conglomeration of 5 total hens. She is still sitting on the other 4 eggs, but she is getting away from the nest more and more now, and I'm worried that the others are not getting incubated. They may not even be fertile for all I know.

I built an incubator, and have moved the others into it. I don't know how far along those eggs are, and if I should be rotating (moving) them or if they're close and I should be leaving them alone.

Bottom LIne: I have 4 eggs of unknown age or origin that my Phoenix has been sitting on. I've moved them to the incubator. What do I need to do from here?

Candle them with a bright flashlight and if they are clear throw them out. Do you know how many days she has been setting on those 4 eggs?

 

[animalspooker]

Thats the problem, I don't know how long shes been sitting on some of them. The other hens would go in there and lay on the nest while the Phoenix was out in the mornings eating and drinking. I'll bright light em tonight and see if I have anything living. How old does and egg have to be "out of the hen" before the bright light will show anything in the egg?

 

[austinbndr28]

Thats the problem, I don't know how long shes been sitting on some of them. The other hens would go in there and lay on the nest while the Phoenix was out in the mornings eating and drinking. I'll bright light em tonight and see if I have anything living. How old does and egg have to be "out of the hen" before the bright light will show anything in the egg?

I think around day 4 you can but I wait until day 7 and you can see veins to make sure.

 

[animalspooker]

Thanks for the advice. I'll watch the ones I have in there now for 7 days. If nothing by then, I'll get rid of them.

 

[austinbndr28]

Thanks for the advice. I'll watch the ones I have in there now for 7 days. If nothing by then, I'll get rid of them.

The only bad thing with extra 7 days is if they are already 21 days old incubated to long and they can explode. I had an egg in the incubator and i didn't remember when i put it in and i left in there way too long and it was rotten and exploded it was the worst smell ever and takes a couple days for the smell to go away.