When to remove eggs from broody?

[Wuick]

Hello everyone!
How long should I wait to remove unhatched eggs from a broody? Today is day 23 and no peeps yet.

This hen stole another broody’s clutch. She has only been sitting for about ten days.
Will she remove them or vacate the nest if they begin to rot? Or will she just sit there for a month waiting if they aren’t removed?

Thank you for any help!

 

[Mvan42]

She should move bad eggs out of the nest. Not sure how one will do being she has only been sitting 10 days when chicks hatched, she may take the chicks out of the nest, or she may sit the whole 21days. I haven’t had anything like this happen to know for sure.

Candle the last eggs to check for movement, if you tap on the shell you may hear them peck on the inside if they are still alive.

Also are u sure those eggs weren’t laid later than the others.

 

[Wuick]

Not sure how one will do being she has only been sitting 10 days ...

Also are u sure those eggs weren’t laid later than the others.

I was worried about how she would respond to such a quick hatch as well.
There aren’t any new eggs in the nest that I know of.

Would it be a bad idea to switch the hens back to their respective nests?

 

[sylviethecochin]

I'd candle to see whether there's anything in the eggs.

Other people may have different experiences, but mine is that hens will set themselves sick on rotten eggs. They don't know whether there's a chick in there or not until right before hatch when the chick starts peeping and tapping. And they really do not count the days.

I'd put the hens back on their own nests. The broody cycle is meant to run twenty-some days, and a hen can react badly if chicks hatch before she's ready for them.

 

[Wuick]

I'd candle to see whether there's anything in the eggs.

I'd put the hens back on their own nests. The broody cycle is meant to run twenty-some days, and a hen can react badly if chicks hatch before she's ready for them.

Thank you for the advice. I will candle the eggs and switch the hens.