Not sure where to put this, but it involves eggs!

[hmurphy984]

Hello! I have a fresh little bantam hen who had decided to go out and lay her eggs in the woods and then lay on them. Initially I thought she was scooped up by something but then she reappeared, we followed her, and found her laying on 10 eggs. I debated what to do, I wanted to let her keep the eggs, but she is totally my favorite and I for sure didn't want anything happening to her (although she had already survived almost a week). I thought she was in a pretty hidden/safe spot, but at the same time I worried. So, I did some research on how to move a brooding hen, and I went for it. I had a nice little nest all set up for her (in like an old guinea pig type cage), complete with "stress smelly herbs" we bought (don't know if it really de-stresses the birds, but I think it smells nice). Partially covered it for her to have privacy. I mean if I were a chicken I'd totally use it. We waited until night (as suggested) and went out, scooped her up in a towel and moved her and her eggs into the new nest. She is not laying on the eggs now. I am keeping her closed in there, because it says it can take a day or two for her to get the hint, but I'm worried she won't get the hint, she can be stubborn, part of why she's my favorite. How long should I wait? and if she still doesn't get the hint, are they movable to an incubator at that point or will her lack of laying on them have killed them (even as of now, almost 12 hours later). She first went missing Saturday, so 5 days she's been devoted to them. Thanks!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Sitting on eggs for 5 days and then abandoning them for 12 hours will likely have killed the embryos. What is the ambient temperature where you live?
This may give you the knowledge you need to make a decision.
https://www.brinsea.com/Articles/Advice/PowerOff.aspx

 

[hmurphy984]

Sitting on eggs for 5 days and then abandoning them for 12 hours will likely have killed the embryos. What is the ambient temperature where you live?
This may give you the knowledge you need to make a decision.
https://www.brinsea.com/Articles/Advice/PowerOff.aspx

That makes me sad. I would say last night it was probably around 60, maybe even in the 50's. I live in coastal NH.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Yeah, I think they are done. You could have put them in your incubator when you moved her till you knew she was staying broody.
When I move a sitting hen, I make sure the new nest is as close as possible to the conditions of the previous nest.
I once moved a sitting hen from one building to another. The next boxes were very similar but the first was on an excelsior nest pad. The new one was on a plastic nest pad. The hen refused to sit on the eggs till I swapped out the plastic with excelsior. As soon as I did so, she went right in and started sitting/incubating.