Not hatching!!!

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deapot2

deapot2

Chirping
5 Years
Nov 9, 2015
41
2
77
Indiana
I'm so frustrated. This is my first time hatching. I've got 2 broody hens taking turns. Egg 1/17 (it's the date it was laid) has not hatched yet! It is an extra large egg. I mean big. I have a layer that lays a huge egg about every 2 weeks. When it's candled, it looks like I think it should. I don't understand what I'm doing wrong! Every few hours, I'm going outside to check it. No pip. No nothing.

Egg 1/19 and 1/20 also have not pipped yet. Because they're smaller, I can easily see veins when candled.

What am I doing wrong??
 
When you say you have 2 broodies taking turns, I have to wonder if they are really broody. Is SOMEONE on the nest 24/7? And, when did they start setting on the nest 24/7? It sounds like you're just letting the eggs pile up in the nest. Normally, a hen does not go broody until she's gathered a clutch of eggs and has STOPPED laying. If you want a successful broody hatch, you'll not put the hatching eggs under her until she has been sitting tight to the nest for a few days and nights, and then put all the eggs under her at the same time, never giving her more than she can easily cover. In this winter weather, I'd not give a full sized broody more than 8 eggs. It doesn't matter, the lay date. It's the set date that will determine hatch date.
 
You might not be doing anything wrong.
Was the egg laid the 17th being sat on 24/7 beginning on the 17th?
Where did the other 2 eggs come from - one of those hens?

Lazy Gardener is correct. A broody hen won't lay eggs.
Also, if they're taking turns, as said, they may not really be broody and if they are, hens taking turns can screw up a good incubation.
I had 8 pullets sit on a community nest of 24 eggs and only hatched one because they kept stealing eggs from each other.

Also, if you can see veins, they aren't close to hatching.
Staggered hatches don't work for hens. They'll usually abandon the nest when they have to take the chicks to eat and drink.
 
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There was one hen that was broody before I put eggs under her. That is why I put eggs under her. They were being laid on 24/7, starting with 1/17. I put egg 1/17 under Henrietta on 1/17. The same with the other eggs. They were placed under her the day they were laid. None of the eggs (that I know of) were laid by the 2 broody hens, and Henrietta had stopped laying prior to sitting on the eggs. The other broody hen, Gretta, stopped laying about 10 days ago, when she took over the broody nest. Henrietta now "stands guard" outside the box, while Gretta sits on the eggs. She is sitting on 8 eggs.

So when you say that the laid date doesn't matter, just the date the broody hen starts sitting on them, why is that?
 
junebuggena said:
Also, just FYI, abnormally large eggs are often double yolkers. Double yolkers rarely result in a live, healthy hatch.
Click to expand...
Hmm, since i get one of these huge eggs about every 2 weeks, could it just be that this particular hen lays a lot of double yolkers? They are so big I wondered if I indeed did have a male/female duck. But I guess Pekin ducks lay white eggs, and all mine are brown. But that is how large the eggs are.
 
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That's because the embryo can't grow until it is being sat on 24/7.
Cell division can't happen below about 82 F.

A fertile egg will never develop until incubated.
 
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Have you not opened any of the other extremely large eggs?

As I said, setting eggs under a hen should all be the same day or she may abandon those that aren't due to hatch yet.
 
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There are lots of other things that could prevent hatching other than what we've touched on.
Males need to be photostimulated earlier than the hens in winter for good fertility but if you're seeing development, they're probably fertile.
Breeder nutrition can be an issue in early quitters. Regular layer feed may not be robust enough for good hatchability.
 

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