Should I move the fertile eggs? (9 days old embryos)

[BloominOrchid]

So Long story short I had one of my hens go MIA, and when I found her she was sitting on 22!

eggs. Shes a banty cochin/OEG mix, how she had had them all under her tiny self Ill never know. Thing is they are due around the 28th Im guessing. (by the time she was missing and the look of the embryos)
And of course Ill be away for the holidays!!!

Im in the Philly area and its been flipping cold here, to cold for new chicks IMHO.
So the question
Do I let nature take its course and hope shes a good mom?
Do I put the eggs in the incubator (I wont be back till the 3rd)
Move the eggs to friend who will incubate them for me? (this will require a car ride) I could plug the incubator in while moving them, but its the movement Im worried about

They are around 9 days right now... Darn Broody!!

 

[Judy]

After watching my week old chicks ignoring below freezing temps and running around the coop, I'd leave her alone and see what happens.

 

[minihorse927]

If it was me I would leave her alone if they all seem to be developing along ok. She has a method to her madness. Just make sure you can watch her and make sure she does not decide she doesn't want to be broody anymore and leave all your eggs out in the cold. I would not risk moving them to a friends due to all the bumping around.

 

[BloominOrchid]

Thats what I worry about I wont be here to watch them... Ill be gone from the 24th to the 3rd of Jan. So they will be on their own for a good 6 days, providing momma is a good mommie, doesnt eat them or hop off the nest prior to hatch or once they hatched.
I do have chicken sitters but none have hatched before...

I dont know I guess Ill wait till the day before I leave and see how they are cooking.
None of my chickens are under any heat, they are in a old garage lots of hay and no drafts...
Im such a worry wort!

 

[minihorse927]

Last winter I had a silkie hen that went broody over a clutch of eggs we couldn't find. The stupid RSL's I had at that time started to lay in the woods for some reason or another. I could not find their nest till one day that silkie hen went missing. I searched for her for over a week and she was sitting on 27 eggs. I about had a heart attack. She was a hatchery grade silkie so she was a little larger than the average but I still could not believe she was sitting on 27 eggs with most of them being extremely large eggs. She hatched out all but 4 of those mutt chicks! The 4 she didn't hatch candled out clear anyway so I do not think they were fertile. I only had the chance to candle them after she left the nest with the rest of them because she was a MEAN broody. The only reason I even found her is because I went looking for her one day and she came after me out from under a brush pile!
I would just have someone hatch sit while she is getting towards the end if you are gonna be gone. Hopefully she is determined to hatch them!
Don't worry, I provide no heat to anything larger than a 2month old chick and they do fine with adequate bedding in below 0 temperatures. I have already had a -3 register here at the house and the chickens were fine. Even the younger silkies that were hatched in October of this year. They have not been outside but maybe a week and a half either. They just huddle together for warmth. I picked one up today while it was 20 outside and it was like having hand warmers. I don't think it appreciated my cold hands though.

Edited for spelling.

 

[speedy2020]

Just move 2/3 of the eggs to the incubator if you have one. After they hatch move the mother and combine together in the brooder box. This give better chance of survivor during the cold weather.