Took eggs from hoarder hen, some on day 18 and some way earlier!

[LittlePip21]

So I have this silkie. She's notorious for brooding in the favored nest box, and if I try to relocate her she will abandon the nest. She had so many eggs under her that I wasn't getting hardly any for eating, since she would half incubate them by the time I collected the next day. So here's the issue, I put almost all of her eggs in the bator, hoping I could save them. (The ones I put back under her she promptly abandoned ) but my issue is, upon candaling them, some of them look ready to pop out of the egg, while others have only started to develop! So, what should I do? Should I go into lockdown and risk the developing ones? Or endanger the ones closest to hatching by postponing lockdown? Any advice would be appreciated, I want to do what's best for all of them.

 

[HuskerHens18]

Take care of your close to hatching ones, that's what I did. They need it most.
All eggs hatched fine for me, I had the same experience as you. I was in lockdown for 6 days and the earliest eggs still hatched fine the next week.

 

[LittlePip21]

Take care of your close to hatching ones, that's what I did. They need it most.
All eggs hatched fine for me, I had the same experience as you. I was in lockdown for 6 days and the earliest eggs still hatched fine the next week.

That's encouraging to hear! I found one when candaling that I know had passed, but the other seem okay, so I'll go into lockdown and see what happens. The second egg in the pic sure seems like it's far along, I suppose it's a matter of guesswork. Did you not turn the still developing eggs at all in your experience? (During lockdown I mean)

 

[sawilliams]

I would just like to suggest if you mark your eggs you can collect the fresh ones the next day when if she had been sitting on them. Her sitting on them for 1 day won't make them inedible, though I would try to collect in the evening or late afternoon so none for overnight.


I agree focus on the ready to hatch eggs, those are the ones that need the most ideal temps and humidity. You may breed to provide air holes (safety holes) for others later on if the air cells are small but most will do fine.

If your broody is easily discouraged as you mentioned it would be in your best interest to either avoid letting her brood or create a setup that you can seperate her with out moving her. Either by placing fake eggs in the brooder area to incourage her to go broody there or creating some kindof removable pen that you could place to block off her nest so that others aren't laying eggs there and you don't have to disturb her except to feed and water.

Good luck with your hatchlings

 

[HuskerHens18]

That's encouraging to hear! I found one when candaling that I know had passed, but the other seem okay, so I'll go into lockdown and see what happens. The second egg in the pic sure seems like it's far along, I suppose it's a matter of guesswork. Did you not turn the still developing eggs at all in your experience? (During lockdown I mean)

This is probably a controversial thing, but yes I left my egg turner on and just watched the close to hatching ones like a hawk. If I saw a pip I'd turn it off until they hatched, removed the chick and turned the turner back on. This was before I had BYC so this was mainly me guessing what to do.

 

[LittlePip21]

Also, I was wondering how I could keep my humidity up? There is water in the trenches, and it tends to go up if I leave it alone, but it likes to hang around on the low side. Would plugging both the vents help? Idk edit: i think I figured out the problem, I was accidentally using cold water. Apparently the room temperature is low enough that the water remains cold. I will heat the water to lukewarm from now on, I can't believe I forgot to check!