This morning when I went to check on my breeders I noticed that she wasn't in the nest box and although I can't know for sure I think she may have spent her night out of the nest and doesn't seem like she's planning on going back in anytime soon.

 

How long can eggs last unincubated after incubation has started? (It was a warm night and it's warm now too if that makes much of a difference.)

Once the eggs go cold is when they die so if the eggs are cold for more than 20 minutes I think then they more than likely will be dead in the shell.

In most cases eggs stone cold the whole night long would be dead in shell babies. In saying this I had a whole clutch once that were icy cold from a whole night no0t being incubated but fostered them anyway in the hope. Two out of the six hatched.

In most cases eggs stone cold the whole night long would be dead in shell babies. In saying this I had a whole clutch once that were icy cold from a whole night no0t being incubated but fostered them anyway in the hope. Two out of the six hatched.

 

ive had this to kaz and three of seven hatched so worth it if you can foster

Well actually that has happened here too, I had a hen a couple of years ago that died in the nest (my fault I used saw dust cuttings and I think there was treated pine in it ) so I killed her she was a great hen too. well any way in the morning I found her dead and the eggs cold but I put them under another hen and the whole 6 eggs hatch, but then this year a hen went off her eggs and they were cold and the whole lot were dead in the shell.

She seems to have gone back in but is in and out a lot so I'm not sure how the eggs will go, it was a very warm night so hopefully some of them will be okay....

 

When I felt them in the morning they were cool though not cold but definetaly cool which is why I thought she hadn't incubated overnight, it was around 5:30am and the hens have always been in the nest when I've seen them this early before.

 

She's got 7 eggs so I'll how it goes hopefully I'll at least get 1 chick out of the nest.

Good luck! I hope it goes well.