Is it normal for a hatch to be this spread out?

Smartie_Pants

Songster
11 Years
Oct 5, 2008
1,081
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171
Madisonville, KY
I put 13 eggs under my silkie hen. I marked all the ones I put in, and she laid two after that. Some of the eggs were not fertile, and she was still left with 13.

On Saturday, which was day 20, one hatched.
Sunday, day 21, 4 hatched.
Two more pipped yesterday, day 22 around 2-3 pm.

I checked today, day 23 when I got home at 3:15 and one of those were out and fluffy, but the other had made NO progress. I pulled a little bit of the shell off to get a look at the membrane and it was bone dry, so was his down. I pelled the top of the egg off so he could get his head out and get some air, he did the rest and kicked himself out. No blood, no moisture, nothing, so I hope he'll be okay.

I put the eggs up to my ear and three more are moving around, pecking, etc, but No pipping at all. Is it normal for the hatch to take over three days? All the eggs were put in on the same day, so none were added later. I've never had them spread out like this, so I thought I'd ask. Her other hatches all completed within 24-30 hours.
 
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Sounds like she wasn't too great at keeping them all rotated and warm and tucked. Eggs that stayed cooler longer will run longer - and have a much harder time hatching. Possibly you just let her try more than she truly could handle. Limit her next hatch by several fewer.

Yes, in a good hatch all go within 24-48 hours of each other in general.
 
Well, normally I only put about six under her, but the last time the fertility was not good, and i wanted to make sure she got a good size brood. She set tight, and there were never any eggs out from under her or anything, but I suppose they could have got pressed down in the straw a little and didn't stay as warm. I will give her lots of credit though. She has 7 babies running around her, and she is still at, waiting for the others to hatch. I hope all come out well.
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Next year, I'll be sure to limit the number of eggs.
 

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