Should we dispose of eggs - over 28 days and none have hatched

[eggcited2]

Our hen has been setting on eggs for over four weeks now. She was found setting on her eggs on Thursday, June 17. We are pretty sure she had been on them before that, but only have that date for sure. That would have been 28 days this past Thursday, July 15. None have hatched at all as of today, 7 -17.

She has been staying on them full time. She only gets off about once a day to eat and drink. So it is not as if she has not been setting full time.

Should we wait a bit longer and let her set for a little bit longer or go ahead and get rid of the eggs?

Yes, we do have a tom and he has been on her before laying the eggs. He too has been staying close to the nest and her.

She laid all the eggs on the ground, in tall weeds. She managed to get through or around the fencing and into tall weeds on the other side of the fence. We had to cut out a section of the fence so she could get to food and water.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

I'd leave them. She will be the one to know when it's time to give up!

 

[Frosty]

If you can get her off of the nest after dark you can hold a small flashlight against the large end of the egg to candle them. If they are good, you should see something in there moving. If they are full of dark stuff that looks liquid and sloshes around, handle them very gently because that would mean that they are rotten and could explode on you. If they aren't good, then get rid of them.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Just leave them. Mine had a late hatch. I thought about disposing of the late eggs but I didn't. A week later, all of them hatched. So just give it a bit longer. See what happens.

 

[EweSheep]

Quote:
This I would do and have done it successfully. Some hens are die hard brooders and it is important not to let them go too long or they would starve themselves sick or dead. I would candle them all to see if anything going on. That way you can determine whether or not the embryoes are alive or not. If they are dead, at least you can see if you can order thru the hatchery and see if there are any breeds available that week that you can slip them under the hen at night. 15 is doable in most LF hens.

 

[Terri O]

It seems to me every time I give up the babies arrive in the next day or two. Sometimes what I do is when they are away from the nest I pick up each egg and shake it gently. If it sounds like a bunch of water in there toss it very far away! Then there is less chance of it exploding when she is getting on and off. I have had no luck at all candling on late hatches. I could see nothing because of all the space being filled up. When she got off with a few babies I disposed of the eggs and there were still live ones ready to hatch! Be careful--that is a bad mistake! T

 

[ziggywiggy]

I'd crack one open and see what's going on.

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

Find someone you don't like and put a few under their car seat on a 100+ degree day!