Broody Silkie day 20 got off eggs

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zivaC

zivaC

Chirping
5 Years
Feb 15, 2014
75
9
76
Hello,

My broody silkie hen who has been sitting on the eggs for 20 days now just suddenly got up all by herself and hasn't returned to the eggs yet!!!! I don't understand what's happening she was so close to the 21 days? So far I haven't seen any eggs hatch. Can anyone explain what this means please?
 
If it is warm out she can get off for up to an hour without an effect. Just make sure she gets food and water and a dust bath and she will return when she considers it right. Some people claim hens can pick out rotten eggs, have you tried candling them?
 
@GitaBooks You're right, I panicked for no reason!!!!! She sat back on the eggs, I haven't been able to candle them. Is it too late to do that now? I did a visual inspection of the eggs and they don't look like they're rotting, the shell appears a normal colour. I hope they actually hatch though, she's only sitting on 4 large eggs (as she is a silkie). If they don't hatch by tomorrow (21 days), does that mean that it was a failure and I should get her off the eggs?
 
No they can take longer, I'd give me day 23-24. And she should get off them twice a day or so to eat and poo and then go back. Hope you have 4 cuties tomorrow
 
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btguy said:
No they can take longer, I'd give me day 23-24. And she should get off them twice a day or so to eat and poo and then go back. Hope you have 4 cuties tomorrow
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x2

Mine sometimes skip a few days, depending on weather conditions. When it is cold, they tend to stay on longer and when it is hot they may get off twice a day. In my experience, when chicks don't have by day 22 they are either late because they went dormant (due to being cooled during incubation) or won't hatch. I've had to help a few day 22 chicks that were in a too thick shell.

I hope they hatch soon!
 
Thank you @GitaBooks @btguy for your information :) I will let you know what happens. And now we wait!
 
Just a quick update and a question- Bonnie (my broody silkie) is still sitting on the eggs at day 22 and no chicks yet. However, a friend of ours suggested that we should slightly crack the egg to help the chicks in case they are unable to crack through the shell themselves. I don't feel really comfortable doing that, it doesn't seem right! Does anyone know anything about this? @GitaBooks @btguy
 
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the danger to this is that if they are not ready it may cause shrinkwrapping i.e. the membrane around them dries to them suffocating them or it may damage a blood vessel in that membrane causing them to bleed. unless someone pips and then sits for 20+ hours its generally best to let them be. that said if you know there is a particular issue help may be needed but i wouldnt think so in general.
 
btguy said:
the danger to this is that if they are not ready it may cause shrinkwrapping i.e. the membrane around them dries to them suffocating them or it may damage a blood vessel in that membrane causing them to bleed. unless someone pips and then sits for 20+ hours its generally best to let them be. that said if you know there is a particular issue help may be needed but i wouldnt think so in general.
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x2

I have opened eggs and assisted hatches before, but it is risky. I have opened eggs too late and too early too many times. However, I have had some very healthy, strong chicks that I have helped hatch for some reason or another. Some chicks hatch late if they were allowed to cool during incubation, I've had this happen but most of the chicks hatched well and were healthy.

I hope they hatch soon. If they don't, you can carefully break a small hole in the top, where the air sac is. I then picked away the shell until I could see where the beak was and made sure the chick could breath. I wrapped the egg in moist paper towels and let it rest for an hour and then opened it a little more, then let it rest again. I did this until they had absorbed all the vessels and the yolk sac.
 
@btguy @GitaBooks when Bonnie got off today for a short time, I saw that the egg had a hole in it :/ but I dunno how or why? It looks like maybe she pecked it? I think maybe the chick that was in there is dead :( does anyone know what that is?
 

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