The normal incubation period for chicken eggs is 21 days. I always give my eggs three days beyond that to allow any late bloomers to hatch. By 26 days, safe to say the eggs are no good. You can candle the eggs as seamommy suggested, but I would be really hesitant to shake the eggs--rotten eggs can break (!) and viable eggs can be killed by the shaking, which would be a heartbreak after being so close to hatch. You can listen for peeping and also closely watch an egg for movement... Your second bird, if I read right, is at around 14 days? There's no way to tell if she's going to stick with it--you know your birds better than anyone. Best you can do is leave her to it and try not to disturb her. You can have an incubator fired up and standing by just in case she does abandon them. Cochins are pretty darned good setters, though, so chances are excellent she'll see it through. :) If you click on my 'My Page' link, there is a link to my chicken info site, it may help also. You need to be VERY sure to provide protection for the chicks and mom from jealous hens and predators. Good luck & have fun! :) Velvet ~:>

Penny, I have mine inside also but I turn the heat on in the mornings to get these old bones and joints functioning as well as possible. I will let you know if mine hatch soon. The nights down here are still cold - low 40's. At least that is cold for me now. I don't know how I survived once survived New England and Indiana winters when I was young. Murray

Here is a video of an olde guy in England and his Collared Doves. You can easily see the squared-off tails with all the white on them. For me, that's a good identifier for these birds. He has some things to say about them but I can't hear well enuf to know what it is. Just a guy and his bird friends . . . Now about the birds this olde guy has seen in his garden! I was out in the dahlias Saturday and frightened a Mountain Plover out of them! This garden is probably a mile from open water (unless you count some swimming pools ;o). It certainly isn't out in the open. There are not only houses and other buildings around but quite a few trees. I've never seen a plover in my gardens! Kildeer but not shorebirds. . . Aaannd! There is a family of hawks near this garden! Not too unusual but this is quite an urban setting and I can't identify the species. I've always thought of the most-likely hawks to be seen as being Sharp-shinned but these guys are smaller. Not as small as Merlins and with an Accipiter look to them . . . so, I'm kind of at a loss . . . (noisy critters, too :o)! Steve Here is a link that might be useful: A few facts about wild Doves,(Streptopelia Decaocto) UK

The eggs were being turned and were warm. However, I just felt something was very wrong as they still hadn't hatched as of today. I tried candling them, and they are totally empty. I know how to candle eggs as I have pet birds, and these eggs were never fertilized. Zero growth and a huge air space. I certainly won't be getting three clutches this year. I know the parent birds will figure it out, so I'll just leave them for now. Mister Blue has been checking out a different box (the one they usually use for their second clutch) so hopefully they'll start over again soon. Bummer. I always love the first clutch as there are no worries about the HOWR yet.