1 lonely chick, will I get more? How long too wait

[missfitch]

I have a momma silkie sitting on 11 more eggs, we have one little beauty

, woke up yesterday at 8 am and "tuffy"

the chick was already fuzzy and hopping around waiting for friends, its been 32+ hours since we found it (and since it was dry and chipper it must have hatched a while before that)
My question is, how long do I let her set, and is it normal to have them soo spread out????

 

[juliechick]

Were the eggs all put under her at the same time? They may be on different days of development. She will probably leave the nest after a little while, whether they hatch or not. Can you candle them?

 

[missfitch]

well, I tried 3 or 4 days ago......I saw nothing, dont know if it was the light or that I dont know what Im looking for but it didn't do me a lot of good. Should I try again?

She is a very broody 6 month old silkie, and she is not giving up yet,
Hope she knows something....

 

[juliechick]

If you saw nothing but a black mass, then that was a chick. If the eggs looked clear, or bright, inside, then they are not developing. Hope that helps.

 

[missfitch]

Do you know if its common for eggs to be soo far apart?

 

[juliechick]

Not unless they were put under her on different days. I've had banties hatch on day 19, while large fowl usually hatch on day 21 and sometimes day 22. Other than that, they all should hatch within a day of each other, normally.

 

[missfitch]

I was afraid of that, OHHH NOOO, these babies were a deversion for my 4 year old whos favorite two chickens were killed by our neighbors dog in our yard last weekend.

How do I now tell him the eggs are in heaven too
Ready for a flood

I will let her sit another day and pray for a miricle

Thanks

 

[chickendude]

When I read the subject line I thought I came upon a personal dating page.

But seriously I hope they all come real soon for ya.

 

[juliechick]

Oh, I'm sorry! I'll say a prayer for them, too. Maybe your 4 yr old will be happy with the one baby. I have a 6 year old and 12 year old and we've had our share of sorrow over chickens. It's always sad, but they bounce back.

 

[juliechick]

Well, did you get any more chicks?