Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Sydney Acres]

I also candled tonight (day 7) and it looks like only 5 out of the 10 have developing embryos. Two out of the other half have what I think is some veining and a "floating speck" so I am think these two might be quitters and one has some shadowy +/- veiny areas so I wasn't sure. The last two eggs have been puzzling me from the start, as the eggs are a different shape and color than all the other eggs. The lady I bought them from had ducks running around the property and the thought briefly crossed my mind wondering what the odds were of these two being ducks eggs. I think it is a bit of a reach, but I guess if they were ducks eggs they would be on a whole different schedule of development than the chick embryos. It is more likely that these two just failed to develop, but just a random thought on my part I guess. I'm sure this has happened to someone at one time or another.
I put all of the eggs back and was planning to candle again on day 14. My broody was so cute tucking them all back under her and setting right back down to work.
Should I candle again sooner so I don't get exploding rotten eggs or am I ok to wait until day 14 to check again?
Thanks!


Edited for typos

I had lots of concerns about exploding eggs, but none of my eggs exploded. I didn't trust my candling skills, so I didn't remove any of them. I left them for a total of 28 days, per broody experts advice, before I removed them. I opened them inside a closed ziplock bag, expecting the worst. They were totally undeveloped, but did not stink at all. They did not pop or explode when first cracked.

I am told that an egg will stink before it explodes, so there would probably be some warning. I've also been told that hens will sometimes remove an infected egg from the nest, but don't know how reliable that is. Ideally only clean but unwashed eggs with excellent shells should be selected for incubation, so that minimizes the potential for the eggs to become infected. Also, eggs should not be handled any more than absolutely necessary, and your hands should be washed and thoroughly dried before an egg is touched.

So bottom line, if you're not 100% sure that the egg is bad and has no potential to develop, don't remove it. You can always candle it later. If the egg is good quality and good egg hygiene has been followed, the risk of explosion is extremely low.

 

[Tabatha]

I have a broody whose eggs started hatching day before yesterday. By last night 4 had hatched and 2 were left. When I checked on them today, the hen had her 4 babies out in the yard teaching them to eat. I looked at the 2 left over eggs and the have just pipped. Problem is this. She packed up shop and moved to another nest. I tucked the eggs under another hen 5 days into HER brood. Is this OK or am I going to have to shuffle again? If the eggs hatch will it break the new broody?

 

[fisherlady]

I have a broody whose eggs started hatching day before yesterday. By last night 4 had hatched and 2 were left. When I checked on them today, the hen had her 4 babies out in the yard teaching them to eat. I looked at the 2 left over eggs and the have just pipped. Problem is this. She packed up shop and moved to another nest. I tucked the eggs under another hen 5 days into HER brood. Is this OK or am I going to have to shuffle again? If the eggs hatch will it break the new broody?

I know this may be late... but a few options. I have never had a hen only broody for 5 days hatch eggs for me... though I just had a hen only 10 or 12 days in do it without problem. So if you do give them to her to hatch she may do fine with them and all the problems will be solved or she may reject them after the hatch... if she does reject them you can probably sneak them back under the original broody hen and hopefully she will take them back.

The other option is fire up an incubator and hope to get the temp pretty steady at about 100 or so and put them into it to finish hatching, then give them back to the original broody...
If you didn't have other egg plans for the short time broody I would try her first and let her raise them, if she hatches them and you take them away to give to the original broody it may break her brood, I'm not sure, since I have never done that before.... but if she rejects them and you remove them to the other hen she may continue to set. It is pretty up in the air.

 

[Tabatha]

I know this may be late... but a few options.  I have never had a hen only broody for 5 days hatch eggs for me... though I just had a hen only 10 or 12 days in do it without problem.  So if you do give them to her to hatch she may do fine with them and all the problems will be solved or she may reject them after the hatch... if she does reject them you can probably sneak them back under the original broody hen and hopefully she will take them back.

 The other option is fire up an incubator and hope to get the temp pretty steady at about 100 or so and put them into it to finish hatching, then give them back to the original broody...
If you didn't have other egg plans for the short time broody I would try her first and let her raise them, if she hatches them and you take them away to give to the original broody it may break her brood, I'm not sure, since I have never done that before.... but if she rejects them and you remove them to the other hen she may continue to set.  It is pretty up in the air.

ok. I just checked on them. This is going very poorly and I'm acting panicky and out of desperation. My surrogate broody has scattered every egg all over the coop and had one chick under her, but has cast the hatchling she'll out away from her. I panicked and stuck the chick under the original broody, along with her remaining 2 eggs (I think I may have said 2 earlier, but I found another I must not have seen then. I know it is the originals because of the color). I gathered the surrogate broody's eggs back into her nest and placed her on them. Going to check in 15 minutes and see what's happening. It's 11:33 pm here, so hopefully I'm doing all this switching at an ok time.

 

[winteree]

ok. I just checked on them. This is going very poorly and I'm acting panicky and out of desperation. My surrogate broody has scattered every egg all over the coop and had one chick under her, but has cast the hatchling she'll out away from her. I panicked and stuck the chick under the original broody, along with her remaining 2 eggs (I think I may have said 2 earlier, but I found another I must not have seen then. I know it is the originals because of the color). I gathered the surrogate broody's eggs back into her nest and placed her on them. Going to check in 15 minutes and see what's happening. It's 11:33 pm here, so hopefully I'm doing all this switching at an ok time.

goodness good luck

 

[Tabatha]

goodness good luck

If I knew exactly how the hatching part would work out, I'd stick them in my bra! Lol

 

[winteree]

If I knew exactly how the hatching part would work out, I'd stick them in my bra! Lol

lol's yeah i wondered about that hatching can take like 3 days does that mean you stay awake the whole time or what?

 

[Tabatha]

lol's yeah i wondered about that hatching can take like 3 days does that mean you stay awake the whole time or what?

oh I would have to stay awake. I'd be afraid the shell would poke me or feel the wet chick and freak out in my sleep...lmbo

 

[Johnn]

Bella has a chick!

 

[mollybuck]

Bella has a chick!

beautiful!!! congrats! what kind its it?