Camile
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Cold Eggs.Good morning everyone,
We have kind of a problem here ..
Yesterday evening, coming back from work, the silky hen that was sitting on eggs for more than a week was outside in the run of her broody coop, well agitated.
I thought that the noise of the machinery going on in the other field might have broken her broodiness, even though she is a proven broody that hatched chicks last november.
After 2 hours, she was still outside .. so I've let her out of the coop .. and open the back door of it in case she wanted to get back in .. and she did and is now sitting tightly on her eggs again ... but god knows how long she was off the nest ..
do you think this clutch is messed up ? because she could have been off them for 8 hours as far as I know ..
would that simply mean a delay in the hatching time ? ie 22 instead of 21 ? or should I simply discard these eggs and give her a new clutch ?
Thanks for your help,
Camile
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bodger
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Eggs are fairly resilient but you'll have to hope that she wasn't off them for a full eight hours or they will almost certainly be kaput.
An hour or two , you could be OK with but not for an extended period of time like that.
Candle the eggs in a week or so.
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Camile
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Thanks for that ..
I have no clue whatsoever how long she was off them for ..
I came back from work and she was out .. I thought fair enough, she's enjoying herself outside for a while ..
checked later on (1h30 or so) and she was still out ...
If I candle them today, should I see something moving in there ? because I'm pretty sure they are fertile (comes from my own stock and so far had 100% fertility rate) ... so there will be something developed in there .. but how to tell if it's still alive ?
Thanks again,
Camile
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bodger
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The answer to that Cammy is no ! You wont see them moving.
How long do you reckon the eggs have been sat on ?
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Camile
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She was sitting on these eggs for 8 or 9 days ... maybe 10 ..
should I simply candle them today, then wait a few days and candle them again to see if there was "improvements" ..
or simply give her a new clutch of eggs and discard these ?
Thanks again,
Camile
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Jonnyboy
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I have a proven broody, Who was ready for eggs about three weeks ago. She sat for almost a week before giving up on the clutch. It's a bummer but it happens.
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Camile
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Hi Jonnyboy,
That's what I thought she did at first .. but when I got her out of the run .. the first thing she did was climbing back in from the back door and sat tightly again .
so I believe her broodiness is not broken at all .. she was just too clumsy to get back on the ramp ! which has steps and all .. and heavier hens climbed it no problem ..
Camile
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bodger
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Just a thought.
Check your chickens for crawlies and the like. A heavy infestation can lead to a bird becoming unsettled. The heat of the broody on the nest can make the little blood sucking b******s breed like mad.
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Camile
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Will check that tonight ..
Thanks !
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pookie
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any hatch Camile?
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Camile
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Hello.
thanks for enquiring .. she actually did it one more time and this time didn't want to get back on them ..
I've check for mites or the likes but there was no sign ... I limewashed that hutch this weekend to disynfect it ... and now a hen with chicks is living in it ..
That hen went back to lay after a week or so .. so I expect to go broody again within a month or so ..
I think what annoyed her was that she was separated from her rooster (duo of silkies) .. and we had never done it before .. and that rooster broods the chicks and all ..
On the other hand, I have 2 extra broodies on me .. One I gave 8 mixed eggs, and the second one has been moved in a new coop I did this weekend, and she will get 7 or 8 guinea fowl eggs.
I can't wait !
Camile
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