stinky mystery eggs in a garbage can... in the snow...

[chickensducks&agoose]

I was outside, and heard the egg song from a strange area, over in my garden, which is full of snow. I hiked over and found, in a tipped over garbage can, 70%buried in the snow, a chantecler (who is sometimes present at bedtime, and is sometimes missing) with 10 (or 8, or something, i didn't count), eggs underneath her. She hissed at me, and got a little puffy, and didn't get off the eggs, even when I dug it out of the snow with a shovel, and dragged it up on top of the snow... Is it possible that she's like half-broody? or just really BAD at being broody? I'm 99% sure that she's the same one that I see most days, and then disappears some nights... Also, I'm getting baby chicks this week, what do you think my chances are of swapping 24 chicks for 10 stinky eggs? and getting her to do a Good job?

 

[Imp]

You could try, keep a sharp eye on things so she doesn't hurt them. And put them under her at night.

Imp

 

[rikku_03]

You can also try to move her over somewhere else for a nest so she doesn't use a trash can

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

I moved the broody chantecler and her 9 eggs from the damp, smelly, sub-snow garbage can, into a clean straw-filled tupperware in my husbands shed. They were really wet, with wet feathers stuck to them. We have had a rooster for the past month, but he doesn't seem to have a whole lot of luck with the ladies... IF these eggs were fertilized, is there any chance that they might be viable? they might not have frozen insulated under the snow... maybe...

 

[rikku_03]

The eggs my friends gave me were frozen but when I put them in the incubator they started to develop and I'm not sure if they are viable but you can try do you know how long shes been on the eggs and if she kept getting off them for a while the chances are they might be dead because of the temperature drop good luck though

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

I have no clue when she laid them, and I think some of them are her sister's eggs... also a chantecler. I think my plan is to buy some hatching eggs here (YAY!!!) and then when they come, candle the existing eggs, and replace some or all of them, depending on what I find... who's got eggs?!?

 

[Chic Chick]

You should candle those eggs to get an idea of how far along they are or if in fact they are clear unfertilized eggs.
If you are getting chicks this week then switch the eggs with the chicks under her at night and watch closely to make sure she accepts them. She should.....
If she has been brooding for a long time already it might be a good idea to get her up and off the nest with the chicks rather then to sit on a clutch of eggs back to back.