What to do??? Eggs pipped and shaking, but hen leaves nest!!! HELP!

[Scifisarah]

My call duck eggs just pipped this morning and are shaking around and in the process of hatching. The cochin hen foster mommy has gotten off the nest though, and doesn't seem to want to sit on them anymore now that they are moving. I put her back in the nest and she is settled down at the moment, but if she gets up again, is it very bad? Should I move them into an incubator? I have a cruddy little giant incubator I could start up. What would you do???

 

[77horses]

If she leaves the nest and doesn't go back, after you try putting her back a couple times and it doesn't work, I would move them to the incubator. In fact, if I were you, I would start up the incubator right now and have it already steadied and ready just in case. Are you sure she didn't just get up to take a break (get a drink, eat, etc.)??

Good luck! I'm having this same problem with a staggered...The broody hen hatched out 4 chicks, and some are still developing, but she got off the nest and now I don't know what to do.

I don't even have my incubator right now.

But luckily you have an incubator just in case your hen gets off the eggs again.