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.
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.