New here

[Peri]

Hi I'm new here and I was wondering something. If a chicken abandons her nest and there are eggs in there that have not hatched yet but you are certain that they are developing, then what should I do? Can I put them under another chicken that is nesting or will that disrupt her nesting "cycle". If I don't have a heat lamp but plan on getting one, how long do I have until the unhatched chicks die? I just hate the thought of those poor chicks being abandodned like that.

Another question that I have is: Is there a magic number when it comes to how many eggs a hen will wait for in terms of hatching? Both of my hens have abandoned their nests at 9 chicks.

 

[LarryPQ]

Yes you can put the eggs in the incubator (or whatever you devise) but you need to do so before they cool down. A heat lamp would work for a little while, but you need to find a way to regulate humidity too.

No magic number...just depends on your hens.