If it's going to hatch, it will. Don't beat yourself up over it. Congrats on the new chicks!Did I screw up?
So here's the situation: Today is day 22 for my broody and 7 purchased eggs. Yesterday I was really depressed because I didn't see any evidence of chicks. Our setup is a miniature coop/run (just big enough for a mama hen and chicks) that DH built exactly like our larger tractor-style, before I found out that it should be level with the ground, not elevated.
This afternoon, I looked out at the coop (for the 1000th time) only now, instead of being camped on her nest inside, Ms. Broody is squatting in her little run, underneath the ramp. It turns out that she had 5 chicks hatch today, but (apparently) once out of the coop she couldn't see how to get them back up the ramp, which wouldn't have been that big a deal except that a big thunderstorm was rolling in, just as I was running down there. I cleaned out the eggshell mess and the two remaining, unhatched eggs that I assumed were dead since she'd wandered away from them, and managed to get her and the chicks back inside (dropped one-- oops-- that I didn't know was there, she was holding it so when I picked her up, chick fell. I hope it's OK). Once I was back inside, though, I wondered about those two eggs, and when the downpour stopped, I went back down to the yard, put chick feed and water in the coop with them, and looked at the eggs, and ONE WAS HATCHING. Like right then. So I shrieked and tried to shove both the eggs back under Ms. Broody.
So, did I kill a perfectly good, viable already-hatching egg (or two) by removing them from the coop and leaving them out in the rain for 1/2 an hour? Or might they still be OK?
