Sick hen and disturbed eggs, Day 21

[Mugento]

I am a first timer with hatching eggs. We have a hen that is constantly going broody. This time we bought fertile eggs and put them under her. All was well until yesterday (day 20) when she was up and agitated and I noticed that she had developed a sore near her chloaca that was infested with (gulp) maggots. I painstakingly picked the maggots out and took her to the vet for antibiotics and pain medication. I wasn't sure what to do with the eggs so we brought them with us to the vet in the carrier. All up, she was probably off of the eggs for 3-4 hours with an ambient temperature of roughly 70 degrees.
I checked on her this morning and she is back on the eggs but I am wondering if the chicks would have been able to survive the drama. I haven't heard anything from the eggs.
I know that I just need to be patient but I am hoping that someone will have a top tip to, I don't know, breathe life into potentially dead chicks?
Also, should I have brought the eggs to the vet or would it have been better to leave them?
This is stressful.

 

[Chookwagn]

I think the eggs should be ok.... they are at the stage where they create a bit of their own heat. It hasn't been very cold here which is a bonus.
If mum is back on the eggs for the next 2 days you should be ok

 

[Mugento]

I think the eggs should be ok.... they are at the stage where they create a bit of their own heat. It hasn't been very cold here which is a bonus.
If mum is back on the eggs for the next 2 days you should be ok

Thank you, that makes me feel much better!

 

[Chookwagn]

Thank you, that makes me feel much better!

Let us know the outcome

 

[Mugento]

A semi-related question: when I was carrying her around last night I noticed how much weight she has lost since she started sitting on the eggs. I am trying to give her medication with food (so I don't have to pry her beak open) and was trying to think of the most nutrient-packed, irresistible food that I can use to give her medication and get her putting on weight. Today I used tuna and brown rice with a strawberry. Any other suggestions?

 

[Chookwagn]

A semi-related question: when I was carrying her around last night I noticed how much weight she has lost since she started sitting on the eggs. I am trying to give her medication with food (so I don't have to pry her beak open) and was trying to think of the most nutrient-packed, irresistible food that I can use to give her medication and get her putting on weight. Today I used tuna and brown rice with a strawberry. Any other suggestions?

I found a very handy mix of scratch grains that had molasses mixed in with it. I don't think you can get better than that.
Message me if you want more details

 

[Mugento]

Thank you, I will whip up a concoction for her evening dose!

 

[Mugento]

Day 22 update: Rosie is on the mend and back to grumpy self. Today we had our first chick hatch (a silver spangled hamburg) and another was starting to break out earlier today (couldn't see which breed). Excitement is running high!

 

[Mugento]

We had one more chicken on day 23 and two on day 24, then she booted out the other eggs. We have two silver spangled hamburg and two gold penciled hamburg. We also had dorking and cochin eggs but none of those made it. Now we hope for hens!

 

[Mason Farm and Ranch]

I found a very handy mix of scratch grains that had molasses mixed in with it. I don't think you can get better than that.
Message me if you want more details

A semi-related question: when I was carrying her around last night I noticed how much weight she has lost since she started sitting on the eggs. I am trying to give her medication with food (so I don't have to pry her beak open) and was trying to think of the most nutrient-packed, irresistible food that I can use to give her medication and get her putting on weight. Today I used tuna and brown rice with a strawberry. Any other suggestions?

I let a hen go broody for hatchling for my daughter & grandkids. I read ahead of time and broody hens will lose weight & get sick from malnutrition. I set up a broody box for her and the expected chicks. I got some tiny feed bowls and filled 1 with feed, 1 with scratch, a third with fresh corn and the last one I filled with fresh fruit & produce several times a day. Cabbage and blueberries were the fan favorite. I arranged the bowls in front of her on the nest. She didn't have to leave to eat, so she nibbled all day long.