help! disaster with Broody

[Anonymous]

My broody coop was accidentally left open (not by me) this morning and at some point today the wretched bird moved back into the main hen house and sat in the nestbox there instead.
What are the chances for her eggs? She'd been sitting on them 7 days. I candled one yesterday and it was fertile. How long can they be left un-sat-on before they're doomed?

 

[Anonymous]

Follow up - one chick has hatched, a day late, so at least the broody's got a reward for her work. More may yet hatch - I haven't disturbed her, just spotted a little head poking out of her wing. Shows it's worth being patient, particularly if you're not very good at candling.

 

[Deleted Account]

hi Jackie

what a shame that noone got back to you when you asked for help - I havent a clue what they could have said, but you would have felt less alone!
Anyway, it's great news that there is at lease one little survivor, and good luck for the rest
Venessa

 

[Tim]

Oh sorry Jackie, I could have offered some support!

I missed your post first time around, just spotted it now after it was 'bumped' up again!

I guess I don't really know a definative answer as to how long you can leave eggs - I think it depends on the stage of incubation and the length of time they are left and how strong the embryo is before they give up and die.

Mother nature does allow for eggs going cold for a while, so the parent bird can go to eat etc.

That said, I have read somewhere you can start eggs off, check for fertility, stop incubating, then start some more eggs off, incubating a full incubator of eggs together... but I can't for the life of me remember where I read that or how long you should incubate them before checking them and so on.

Do let us know how many hatch in the end...

Tim

 

[Anonymous]

congrats on the hatch