Nesting box / hygiene / eggs not hatching

[Radrussie]

Hi everyone,

So... I have a chicken that is sitting on some eggs. it is day 21 today from when I first noticed her sitting. During this period about 3 eggs broke. I cleaned the nesting box out as best I could without washing the eggs. However some of the eggs are a little dirty bit of egg my soon poo and or mud.

I have used the light on my phone to check for development. Definitely had some development.

Mom is sitting on almost 24/7.

I noticed today that there was a dead chick. Is my nesting box to dirty? Nothing else has hatched.

 

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

I think the box looks clean, is the dirt from the hen getting out to dust bathe then coming back to set on them>

 

[Cinnamon Roll]

I don’t think they look too dirty. You might have a poor hatch rate because of the number of eggs though. The hen will move eggs around as she sits and if there are too many eggs they can cool too much while they are at the edge waiting for their turn at the center.

I’d definitely wait a couple more days to be sure no more will hatch.

 

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

Keep us posted for sure!

 

[Radrussie]

I think the box looks clean, is the dirt from the hen getting out to dust bathe then coming back to set on them>

Hi. Thanks for the reply. This photo was a few days ago. The dirty the I am mostly worried about is from the broken eggs that I cleared out of the nest. I cleared out the shell and any wood chips that where spoiled. Worried that that might of got an infection or something on the shells. This is my first time hatching my own eggs as well as having a hen sit.

 

[Radrussie]

I don’t think they look too dirty. You might have a poor hatch rate because of the number of eggs though. The hen will move eggs around as she sits and if there are too many eggs they can cool too much while they are at the edge waiting for their turn at the center.

I’d definitely wait a couple more days to be sure no more will hatch.

Okay, cool info. It has been a bit of an experiment as I wanted to see if they would sit. With +-8 eggs in the nest I added another 6 from a friend only then did she start sitting properly. What is the normal amount of eggs to go under a hen?

 

[gimmie birdies]

a large hen 12, a smaller hen 6-9.

 

[Radrussie]

a large hen 12, a smaller hen 6-9.

She is a Rhode Island Red. Large. There is about 15. So let's see what happens.

 

[Cinnamon Roll]

I only set 8 max under my Orpingtons mostly because more than 8 chicks is a lot to keep track of for a free ranging hen. I do let mine sit when they want though, so there are always multiple families running around causing chaos.

Once you get to know your hen’s specialty as a mother you can determine what’s best for her. My early weaning moms (4 weeks or less) get more chicks so they can lookout for each other when she goes back to laying. My long term moms (6 weeks or more) get only a few chicks since they are so mature when she weans them they fit right into the flock. If you have a mixed flock a long term mom is the best choice for flighty nervous chicks like Leghorns. She will teach them not to roost in the trees

 

[janiedoe]

Bacteria from the broken egg may have contaminated her nest. Did the chick, who died, look normal or mushy/bloated?