Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[Faraday40]

Do Broodies eat the egg shells when they hatch? Mine seems to be. Just wondering if it is normal.

Mine eat much of the shells but not all. I guess it's their way of cleaning house. LOL

 

[pamperedamber]

Mine eat much of the shells but not all.  I guess it's their way of cleaning house. LOL

That makes sense. Thank you.

 

[pamperedamber]

No sure if this one is going to make it but it has stopped bleeding and it didn't bleed much. Dash is still guarding it so hopefully it's still alive.

 

[sharaw20]

So I just went out to candle the last three eggs I though could have been fertile.they were day 21 last night. The one egg is completely blacked out. No air bubble. The other one is half blacked out and there is a air bubble. But when I rotate the egg the air bubble moves. And the third egg has the air sac but there is a bit of a wave in it on one side. But is completely blacked out on one side. They are not oozing. They do not smell. Do you think they are all bad now ? Thanks.

 

[ameliadanielle]

My crossbeak silkie broody has babies hatching a day early. All have hatched but one egg so far. I'm going to cross my fingers it hatches. I love it when they hatch 100%.

 

[fisherlady]

So I just went out to candle the last three eggs I though could have been fertile.they were day 21 last night. The one egg is completely blacked out. No air bubble. The other one is half blacked out and there is a air bubble. But when I rotate the egg the air bubble moves. And the third egg has the air sac but there is a bit of a wave in it on one side. But is completely blacked out on one side. They are not oozing. They do not smell. Do you think they are all bad now ? Thanks.

The one with the rolling air cell is bad...DH and I call those 'sloshy eggs'... caused when a chick begins to develop but for some reason dies partway through, the decomposing process disintegrates the membrane lining the shell which normally holds the air cell in place, this allows the air cell to basically become a free floating bubble.
We Dispose of 'sloshy eggs' very carefully to avoid breaking them, usually by sealing them in a zippy bag first to protect against accidental breaking or seeping from stinking up the area!

The other 2 sound like they have either fully or nearly fully developed, no way to know for sure if they are still viable unless you see movement in them, but I would not disturb them until they are further past their due date. Every disturbance increases risk of causing problems with the hatching process.

 

[fisherlady]

My crossbeak silkie broody has babies hatching a day early. All have hatched but one egg so far. I'm going to cross my fingers it hatches. I love it when they hatch 100%.

congrats on the hatch even if the last one doesn't make it!

 

[sharaw20]

The one with the rolling air cell is bad...DH and I call those 'sloshy eggs'... caused when a chick begins to develop but for some reason dies partway through, the decomposing process disintegrates the membrane lining the shell which normally holds the air cell in place, this allows the air cell to basically become a free floating bubble.
We Dispose of 'sloshy eggs' very carefully to avoid breaking them, usually by sealing them in a zippy bag first to protect against accidental breaking or seeping from stinking up the area!

The other 2 sound like they have either fully or nearly fully developed, no way to know for sure if they are still viable unless you see movement in them, but I would not disturb them until they are further past their due date. Every disturbance increases risk of causing problems with the hatching process.

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So today is day 22. How many days should I wait

Thank you

 

[fisherlady]

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So today is day 22. How many days should I wait


Thank you

I don't mess with them until day 23 or if the hen leaves the nest with other chicks already hatched. In our experience a hen who is given eggs all at the same time generally hatches everything viable within a 36hr time frame.

 

[ameliadanielle]

congrats on the hatch even if the last one doesn't make it!

I am hoping it hatches. I never candled her eggs. So for all I know it could be clear. But I've got my fingers crossed it's just slower than its siblings. Since they just started hatching this morning and 7 hatched within 3 hours of each other, it's got plenty of time. I may candle it tonight so if it is clear or bad I can toss it.