WHY would she do THIS????? Devastated :(

[Wild Chicken]

We have a bantam cochin that was h*ll bent on setting on eggs. After 2 weeks of trying to break her we put eggs under her to hatch. They were due to hatch starting tomorrow. I went out to her crate this morning and she off the nest eating and drinking. She had kicked 2 eggs out of the nest and they were over in the far corner of her crate....no big deal because I was suspecing that those 2 weren't viable from candling them. I finished changing everyone's water and went to our other coop to change their's and went back to check on her and she was STILL off the nest.

So I checked the eggs and they were stone cold

Lord knows how long she had been off them

.

I am DEVASTATED....this was our first broody hen and we were all soooooo excited to watch nature take it's course. Why in God's great earth did she do this?????

My husband keeps saying, "She's a chicken, and you can't control what she does". GRRRRRRRRRR.

Did I do something wrong? Were the eggs not good? (I had just candled them and they all looked good....except for the 2 in question. And should I let her out of her crate now? It's cold here in Michigan and she has a bare belly, I don't know if she would be OK with the temperature running around with her bare belly.

I would love an explanation.....

......if there is one

I'm sooooo sad.

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

You took her off for 2 weeks. Her broody cycle was up. She was on the nestfor 5 weeks. She was TIRED of sitting. Next time, just give her eggs when she's starting her broodiness or not at all.

 

[Barred Rocker]

Quote:
That's pretty much it. They'll stay on for an extra week or so but after that they say heck with this. It's a shame she was so close though.

 

[MuranoFarms]

Stick them in the 'bator and see what happens. You never know.....

 

[Wild Chicken]

It's only 9 degrees here today...I'm sure they're done for

Well, I've learned my leason.....give her eggs when she first starts brooding. I didn't really want her to set right now because it is so cold here right now, and she wouldn't quit setting, so I figured she'd see these guys to hatch. And yes, it's a shame, she was sooooo close.

Thanks as always!!

 

[jnkir7]

i had the same thing happen only my hen got on the wrong nest but i warmed the eggs and candled them they were moving inside so you really never know how mutch they can take and still make it,and my eggs were as cold as ice it was thirteen degreese here.

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

I don't know that a broodie gives up after 3 or 4 weeks. I have had broodies that have stayed on nothing for 2 months and then successfully hatched when I finally gave in and gave them eggs. There are hens that are jsut not good broodies.

 

[boxermom]

I just set 12 under a broody that I tried to break this past week. She's all nestled in. We'll see what happens. It's really cold here too.

 

[rancher hicks]

I have one brooding now in this cold. 8 below. I nevered candled broody eggs cause I just figure she knows what she's doing. I dont' know. How many times have you candled her eggs? Was she in with other hens. My poor bantam had 6 eggs before I moved her, 4 were standard sized eggs. Maybe the other hens kept going into the nest to lay an egg and she figured the heck w/ this, I'm outa here.
Is it her first time? I firgure if I'm going to allow a hen to brood she's going to need a private place. This is why hens disappear and then show up with a brood of chicks. I haven't checked the one brooding now so I have no idea what eggs she has or whether they're even fertille. She's a Dominique 1year the end of FEB.

 

[Wild Chicken]

She is in a crate all snug and cozy so she can still see eveyone else but be secluded. I only candled her eggs twice, once after a few days and than a few days ago......