When do I take away the unhatched eggs?

[lcarlson9]

My broody hen has hatched 6 beautiful chicks. They are doing wonderful so far and she is a very protective mother. The problem is she still has 2 eggs that she will not give up on. I am not sure when to say enough is enough since this is my first time hatching chicks. She has gone as far as to move them out of the dirty nest box to create a clean nesting spot for them. The first chicks hatched on Thursday (day 19) and the last chicks hatched on Saturday (day 21), it is now Monday evening (day 23). Just don't want to pull the eggs too early. I feel like she must know something if she is hanging on to these eggs so tightly but maybe I am assuming too much. Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Manningjw]

My broody hen has hatched 6 beautiful chicks. They are doing wonderful so far and she is a very protective mother. The problem is she still has 2 eggs that she will not give up on. I am not sure when to say enough is enough since this is my first time hatching chicks. She has gone as far as to move them out of the dirty nest box to create a clean nesting spot for them. The first chicks hatched on Thursday (day 19) and the last chicks hatched on Saturday (day 21), it is now Monday evening (day 23). Just don't want to pull the eggs too early. I feel like she must know something if she is hanging on to these eggs so tightly but maybe I am assuming too much. Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated.

It is getting a bit late for me to have hope in eggs in the incubator but from what I have read and what I experienced with my broody hens, they know when to give up and dedicate themselves to those that made it. My hen sat on her eggs for an additional day or two and all that were going to hatch did, the rest quit developing or died (eggtopsy) and she knew it. If you are going to take the eggs out anyway, you could wait till night and candle them to see if there is movement or peeping.