staggered broody hatch or dud eggs?

[Chicalina]

I couldn't see anything moving or cheeping inside. They haven't pipped inside yet have they?

Should I help them tomorrow or wait? I know I should wait but I'm anxious they might be dead already.

 

[britesidefarm]

I would wait another 2-3 days and try not to move them too much, if they haven’t internally pipped by then I would investigate

 

[Sonya9]

You can try water candling (as long as they have NOT pipped!) but please don't crack open any eggs. Nothing sadder than someone cracking open an egg just to watch the chick die especially when it was an error involving candling or timing.

 

[Chicalina]

the eggs were all set together at the same time and the hen was moved onto her separate nest before the eggs were set (whislt she was on dummies), so there weren't any late additions to the nest by accident. I set them all on 12 July.

 

[Chicalina]

 

[Chicalina]

just thought I would share some pics of mum and babies!!

 

[Chicalina]

Ok, update. Mum abandoned the eggs.

I opened them while they were still warm to see if there were any live chicks and there weren't

The also stank like putrid death when I opened them. They were all fully formed and full size, but in a lot of brown or yellow thin liquid, membranes without veins except one. They were full term so something must have gone wrong in the last few days. Maybe the 35°C heat and muggy weather on Thursday or the sprinkle of water I did around the nest was too much humidity? I'm so gutted.

2 were black and 2 were white, one splash like its dad. They would have been gorgeous.

Any ideas what went wrong?

 

[Chicalina]

4th one

 

[Chicalina]

Any ideas on why they died?

 

[bobbi-j]

Any ideas on why they died?

It’s hard to say. Sometimes they just aren’t strong enough to make it out of the shell.