Quick Help Please

[Mary H Lyons]

I have found out that my hen of 7 years that was laying is gone. How long can she be off the eggs and they will not be viable if I try to hatch them?

 

[slordaz]

a lot depends on how far along they are in the incubation period along with your temps.

Do you have an incubator just in case. if not a crock pot on low setting?

the interenal temp doesn't fall quite as fast as the external temp, a hen usually gets off for 10-15 minutes to take care of her business if it's cold, can be longer if it's warm temps and they are insulted.
if it's cool and your worried you can take them in and set it up? and candle each egg to check for viability. Be careful to look not roll around if she hasn't been setting very long

 

[pennyJo1960]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens Mary hope she is not really gone they do leave the nest off and on

 

[Mary H Lyons]

Slordaz will you please explain crockpot method. Potato was my only survivor out of 7 from the 27 that survived Hurricane Irma. I have called and looked and my girl is gone. She had started laying on nest last week. This would have been week 2. I will be so heartbroken if I can't save them.

 

[slordaz]

put a lining in the bottom of the crock pot so it's not a slippery surface, put a small dish of water in there and add the eggs in,leaving small lift to get air in there, you will have to manually turn them at least 3 times a day minimum, and leave lid on with one edge slightly elevated, until lock down at Day 17-18 lay a paper towel over the eggs not dripping wet just warm damp, and wait for hatch

 

[Ebony Rose]

My first hatch was done with a plastic tote without the lid & a bare light bulb that I had put into one of those garage clamp-on light fixtures. The clamp came in handy to position the light just-so-high over the eggs to keep them at temperature. I put a small object under the tote on one side and switched sides that my 'prop' was on (under the tote) three or four times daily to simulate 'rocking' the egg. The hatch was successful.

 

[Mary H Lyons]

Is there an article I can be referred to. Do I turn on the crockpot. Sorry so many questions.

 

[Granny Hatchet]

Mary, welcome to BYC. It sounds like you REALLY need to save these littles so if you can you have time to go to TSC or ?? and get a cheap incubator . You dont have to buy a turner as already mentioned, you can do it by hand

 

[Granny Hatchet]

I guess I should mentioned you can candle the eggs first to make sure they have embryos before you spend the $$
There are a lot of articles here. I will find one for you

 

[Granny Hatchet]

Incubating and Hatching Chicken Eggs aka HATCHING 101