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hatching out chicks

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  • 19-07-2012 12:43pm
    #1
    kerryted
    Closed Accounts Posts: 131 ✭✭


    hi there

    had a hen siting on 5 eggs for about 10 days all was going great until i went to see her today and she had left them and 1 egg was cracked open , i had her away from the others in the same coop but just left the lid open 2 inches and she got out are the eggs gone now or if she sits on them again will they be alright . i had feed and water left in with her ,thanks


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    #2
    Ayla
    Registered Users Posts: 1,508 ✭✭✭Ayla


    My guess is that they're gone. Eggs have a very small timeframe whereby if the hen lets them go cold then they dry out & die quickly.

    Does she want to sit on them again? Sometimes hens just give up & leave the clutch. If one of the eggs was cracked she may have done it & then just gave up on the rest.


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    #3
    Mothman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,498 ✭✭✭Mothman


    Ayla wrote: »
    My guess is that they're gone. Eggs have a very small timeframe whereby if the hen lets them go cold then they dry out & die quickly.

    Does she want to sit on them again? Sometimes hens just give up & leave the clutch. If one of the eggs was cracked she may have done it & then just gave up on the rest.
    With regard to that in bold, I've seen hens off clutch for well more than an hour, perhaps 2 hours and they've hatched fine. The hen returns of her own accord.
    The cracked egg may have occurred in the action of trying to leave the coop.


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    #4
    Ayla
    Registered Users Posts: 1,508 ✭✭✭Ayla


    That's true, and apologies that was the timeframe I had in mind (although I realise that probably didn't come across).

    I was thinking that the hen had left the nest sometime during the evening/early morning, but obviously we don't know exactly when it happened. If the hen returns & sits again then the eggs may just be fine. But the clock's ticking now...

    OP - as you wrote your msg yesterday, what's happened w/ the hen since? Has she sat again?


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    #5
    kerryted
    Closed Accounts Posts: 131 ✭✭kerryted


    Hi there

    ya she is back in again i had her kind of locked in to to a part of the coop and she got out but could not get back in herself until i spotted her missing, dont know how long she was gone ,the eggs felt cold but we will have to wait and see, tried candling them but not too sure what to be looking for , thanks for ye advice


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    #6
    kerryted
    Closed Accounts Posts: 131 ✭✭kerryted


    Hi there

    Just an update hatched out 2 chicks over weekend out of 5 eggs great excitement with the kids now to keep them alive is the thing


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