Advice needed asap

[Hanwell Hens]

Hello all.
I am new on here but have owned chickens now for 9 years.

20 days ago i bought 12 bantam eggs and put them under my broody Pekin bantam. She has been really good sitting on them, only getting off for food.

I got her off them today and some of the eggs around the edge are cold. I am now worried that I gave her to many to sit on.
I have another broody pekin (no surprise there) so have put 5 of them under her.

My question is if she hasn't been keeping them warm enough all this time will they still hatch after 21 days (saturday)

Yours hopefully

Becky

 

[Hanwell Hens]

Just to add, should i hear pipping on day 20

 

[TheKindaFarmGal]

They might not all hatch, but you should get at least a couple of chicks from the 5 eggs. On day 20 you might be hearing some peeping. Hold them next to your ear (not for too long, you want them to stay warm) and see if you can hear any little sounds. Sometimes you will hear a little peep or the chick breaking the shell. Some chicks hatch early, some hatch late. You could also candle the eggs to see if they are empty, but make sure they stay warm. Have any eggs pipped yet?

 

[Hanwell Hens]

Hi ya, thanks for your reply

No pipping that i can hear. will listen today when it is quiet. The ones i have put under Tikka today weren't cold but not as warm as the others.
I haven't candled any of them so have no idea whats going on in them. Really hoping that the 7 left under Flo will hatch.
My 6 year old daughter is ready to burst with excitement, as am i.

We hatched out 5 pekins 5 years ago but this time we have 6 bantam barnevelders and 6 bantam buff orpingtons.

 

[TheKindaFarmGal]

That's so exciting! You'll have to post pictures when they hatch.

Little baby chicks are so cute! Hoping they all the eggs have chicks...

 

[Hanwell Hens]

Would two hens be happy in the same run with new chicks?

 

[TheKindaFarmGal]

Hey! I was just checking your thread to see if you had posted, and you just did!

So, a lot of times I will have multiple hens with chicks of different ages and they will often group together. Other times two hens will hatch chicks and raise them together. Hens will often peck on the each other's chicks if they are of a different age, and if it gets too bad, you have to separate them. A lot just depends on the hens. Yours will have chicks of the same age, so they might just get together and help each other raise them. If they fight, you will have to separate them somehow. Hope this helps!

Have any chicks hatched yet?

 

[TheKindaFarmGal]

Oh, I forgot to ask: how big is your run? If the hens are forced together in too small of a space they might start fighting also.

 

[Hanwell Hens]

thanks

I just went and looked at the eggs, no pipping and when i shone a torch on them some has a light bit at one end, some were just clear with no dark bits at all. would some take longer if not been warm enough or are they a no go?

At the moment Flo is in my green house with full run of the floor space ( don't worry i open the door right up if hot weather, which isn't often in uk)

 

[TheKindaFarmGal]

Do you notice a rotten smell coming from any of the eggs? Are the eggs you candled the five you gave to the other hen or are they Flo's seven? The ones that are clear with no dark are probably a no go. You can throw them out. The dark ones with the light bit on one end (which is the air sac) probably have chicks! Keep those.