Why did my Broody hen not hatch any chicks?

[AishlingS]

I’ve a broody pekin and she was very good. Stayed on the nest the entire time. She was on the eggs 4 weeks. But no chicks?
The eggs had like waxy/slimy/greasy coating from the hen (her feathers felt the same).
These eggs had proven fertility. There was 3 different breeds of eggs under the hen (pekin/Silkie/polish). I know the eggs were fertile. Hatched before and after on an incubator.
But none of them hatched under her. Some look like they started developing but not very far, others don’t even look like they started.
What could be the cause? The hen lost all feathers on her belly. None of the other hens/rooster had this slimy/greasy feeling to their feathers? Also no egg broke and her feathers feel like that all throughout the hatch.

 

[LaFleche]

The eggs had like waxy/slimy/greasy coating from the hen (her feathers felt the same).

Sounds as if at least one of the eggs broke and coated the remaining ones.

Was she separated from the flock or could another hen have started a fight over the nest?

Welcome to the BYC community!

 

[AishlingS]

Thank you
no she was separated, gave her 4 Silkie eggs, 5 polish eggs and 3 pekin eggs and all were marked and still there at the end. All her feathers feel the same as the eggs though.

 

[LaFleche]

Just to clarify:

Pekin bantam chicken or pekin duck?

 

[AishlingS]

No she’s a hen, so sat on the eggs for a good while

 

[SueT]

Hi, welcome to BYC. Where do you live? Are you in this area of triple digit temps? Our hen’s eggs all quit, and I think it was because of the very hot weather. Temps over 100º for days.

 

[AishlingS]

Hello Ireland so I don’t think it was too hot, although I have heard thunder can sometimes affect it?
It’s just very confusing and I’m wondering if it’s the waxy/greasy residue from the hen that some how contaminated the eggs but can’t find anything online to explain. She was such a good hen and she was on the nest the whole time but if there is something wrong with her I won’t let her sit on eggs again and waste her time.

 

[SueT]

Hello Ireland so I don’t think it was too hot, although I have heard thunder can sometimes affect it?
It’s just very confusing and I’m wondering if it’s the waxy/greasy residue from the hen that some how contaminated the eggs but can’t find anything online to explain. She was such a good hen and she was on the nest the whole time but if there is something wrong with her I won’t let her sit on eggs again and waste her time.

Ha, not too hot then. Is she still broody?
My hen whose eggs all quit was still on the nest so I found her some day old chicks locally. I slipped them under her at night. She happily adopted them….

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Sometimes I have hens that sit too much. They cook the eggs underneath them. It tends to happen more with the new mama's who haven't realized that it's okay to not literally press against their eggs 24/7 to keep them warm. It generally takes those ones 2 or 3 tries before they get a decent hatch at all.

 

[AishlingS]

Ha, not too hot then. Is she still broody?
My hen whose eggs all quit was still on the nest so I found her some day old chicks locally. I slipped them under her at night. She happily adopted them….

Ha, not too hot then. Is she still broody?
My hen whose eggs all quit was still on the nest so I found her some day old chicks locally. I slipped them under her at night. She happily adopted them….

She’s still broody, tried isolation and moved her back in with the flock and she went straight back to the nest and wouldn’t adopt, got her 2 little chicks that she didn’t take to unsure whether to let her try again as it would be a long time if the same thing will happen ?