Not Sure If Egg Hatched

[cmitchell]

Tonight I looked in on my broody hen who is setting on 10 eggs due to hatch any day now. I saw the remnants of a broken egg next to her. I could see the membrane that was slightly bloody, not clean or yellow from yolk. I didn't disturb the hen to see if a chick had hatched, or if the egg was broken/crushed/eaten. No other evidence other than the shell remnant, which I would say was about half the egg or so. Didn't hear any peeping either so I'm kind of concerned. Should I just let her be or try to check under her for a chick who may be dead or alive?

 

[anaiyuk]

I would wait overnight and then check!

 

[debilorrah]

Hehehehe. That eggshell is normal and the chick is buried up under her wing.

 

[ScissorChick]

Quote:
x2. They will stay up under mommy for a while before they come out

 

[kstaven]

Leave her for now.

 

[cmitchell]

I was going to leave her alone till the end of the week but Hubby couldn't wait that long so he slipped his hand under and lifted Miss Marple to look for a dead chick. He saw no chick at all..just the nine remaining eggs. Still not hearing any peeping if the chick hatched live and was up under her wing. Thinking maybe she ate it? No clue. At least I know there isn't a dead chick or egg contents that might effect the rest of the hatch.

 

[youngbiddy]

Holy cow, I really hope she didn't eat it! I wouldn't have thought any momma hen would do such a thing; my guess is that it's buried in her feathers asleep..or it wandered off and something ate it.

 

[cmitchell]

WOOOT! WOOOT! My brooding hen, Miss Marple, had a chickie hatch today! I only saw it's legs and they are feathered like my brahma chickens. She still has 8 eggs to go..can't wait till they all hatch and they are exploring the world!

Should I take the empty eggshell out of the nestbox?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Leave her alone. Leave the egg shells alone. You can injure chicks fooling with her. I picked a broody up one time and killed a chick that was up under her wing. I squeezed it to death. Sometimes when you are messing with a broody whe gets defensive or nervous and stomps around. She can stomp on a chick or partially hatched egg.

 

[Jocasta]

I had a similar situation last year. My mama bird (first time mama) was sitting on 10 eggs. Two didn't develop so tossed them when I candled. One cracked. Four hatched and two were in the nest. There was absolutely NO trace of egg number ten. I went through it in my head over and over and over but the only explanation is that she ate it. Apparently it's a lot more common than a lot of people realise - especially with first time broodies.

Congrats on your baby - fingers crossed for lots more