Anyone else impatient for their eggs to hatch already? Day 21 and no pips yet...

[tullypippin]

Hi everyone!

This is my second round hatching chicks under a mama hen (first time didn't go so well, mama hen decided to scalp the first chick!). Hatching eggs under a DIFFERENT mama hen this time, day 21 and... well, all is quiet. No pips (that I can see, though don't want to stress out mama hen too much), no peeping, and it's already 3pm.

Any tips for beating the hatch day nerves? Calming music, yoga, break dancing?! OR ways to encourage eggs to hatch... I haven't tried playing rock and roll tunes to them yet, but the lack of progress is starting to get to me!

 

[700cct]

I just started hatching chicks with hens too. The first batch took 29 days to hatch, the second batch took 18. I pretty much gave up on 21 days for hatching as being reliable haha.

 

[tullypippin]

I just started hatching chicks with hens too. The first batch took 29 days to hatch, the second batch took 18. I pretty much gave up on 21 days for hatching as being reliable haha.

Wow, I can't imagine having to wait 29 days! That takes some impressive patience. And yes, I've heard that "chicks can't tell time"... so I suppose I'll have to wait till they're ready! I candled them at day 18 and all 5 were developing normally, so all should be OK, but I always have that sliver of doubt that something will go wrong.

 

[700cct]

I feel ya there haha. Yeah i thought for sure they were dead, and i was going out to the coop to take them away. Lifted up that chicken and all of them had hatched overnight, over a week late

 

[tullypippin]

Wow that's crazy! Good thing you waited so long!

Update - 1 chick has hatched, at least 1 other egg has pipped, and mama hen appears to be doing her job! The chicks are all bantam Barnevelders, and we're starting to wonder how we're going to tell them all apart...

 

[RosieR]

I hear ya! Mine go on lock down tomorrow! 2nd hatch also