Can Hard Bantam Eggs Hatch without Assistance?

[debwal]

Hi We are very new to this so looking for some hatching advice please. Our little Bantam (Baby) has been sitting on 5 eggs for 22 days. (We put all of them under her on the same day). For the past few days we've seperated the others from her and she's in her own small hut and so far she's been the perfect Mum.

We know from eating her eggs the egg shells are really hard to crack. Are all Bantam eggs really hard? She's the only one we have so no experience, we have 2 large ladies a Bluebell and a speckle, their eggs are normal thickness and one Pekin Bantam cock (Dad).

After looking at all of your hatching advice on the forums, a lot of people saying Bantams can hatch early so we candled all 5 yesterday Day 21. They all look to have a large air sack but the shells are so thick we couldn't see any beaks.
We've checked again this morning and we can hear cheeping from 4 of them and one of them a tapping noise, so they are all still alive. Do we sit tight and be patient and hope the little mites can break through the hard shells?
Any advice for a Very anxious newby?

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Do we sit tight and be patient and hope the little mites can break through the hard shells?
Any advice for a Very anxious newby?

Hi there, welcome to BYC!

You got it, sit tight and be patient.

If you hear peeping they are internally pipped.
It could still take another 24 hours before hatch is complete.

Egg shell strength can vary by hen, as you already noticed. I personally would not be trying to intervene. See what happens, life finds a way!

Bantams in general hatch the same day as every other chick. There may be lines that hatch on day 20, but most will not in my experience. Interestingly, I hatched hundreds of Silkies all on day 21. This year my bantam Ameraucana, first time around with them, majority hatched on day 20. So I lowered my incubator temp for round 2... again many hatched day 20. Since you are on day 22, I would say yours aren't going to be hatching early.

Are you in the UK? I haven't seen Bluebells in the US.

Can't wait to see pics of your proud mama and her brood!

 

[debwal]

Thank you very much. I didn't realise peeping meant they had internally pipped. It's good to have a bit of advice and reasurance as we do know how hard the shells are. Yes we are in UK, near the Lake District in the Yorkshire Dales. The weather has been very cold and a bit wet the last couple of days. I'll keep you posted and will be doing some of this

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Hi! I hope everything goes well with your hatch!

 

[debwal]

Thank you.

Hi there, welcome to BYC!

You got it, sit tight and be patient.

If you hear peeping they are internally pipped.
It could still take another 24 hours before hatch is complete.

Egg shell strength can vary by hen, as you already noticed. I personally would not be trying to intervene. See what happens, life finds a way!

Bantams in general hatch the same day as every other chick. There may be lines that hatch on day 20, but most will not in my experience. Interestingly, I hatched hundreds of Silkies all on day 21. This year my bantam Ameraucana, first time around with them, majority hatched on day 20. So I lowered my incubator temp for round 2... again many hatched day 20. Since you are on day 22, I would say yours aren't going to be hatching early.

Are you in the UK? I haven't seen Bluebells in the US.

Can't wait to see pics of your proud mama and her brood!

 

[debwal]

Thank you very much. I didn't realise peeping meant they had internally pipped. It's good to have a bit of advice and reasurance as we do know how hard the shells are. Yes we are in UK, near the Lake District in the Yorkshire Dales. The weather has been very cold and a bit wet the last couple of days. I'll keep you posted and will be doing some of this

Hi there, welcome to BYC!

You got it, sit tight and be patient.

If you hear peeping they are internally pipped.
It could still take another 24 hours before hatch is complete.

Egg shell strength can vary by hen, as you already noticed. I personally would not be trying to intervene. See what happens, life finds a way!

Bantams in general hatch the same day as every other chick. There may be lines that hatch on day 20, but most will not in my experience. Interestingly, I hatched hundreds of Silkies all on day 21. This year my bantam Ameraucana, first time around with them, majority hatched on day 20. So I lowered my incubator temp for round 2... again many hatched day 20. Since you are on day 22, I would say yours aren't going to be hatching early.

Are you in the UK? I haven't seen Bluebells in the US.

Can't wait to see pics of your proud mama and her brood!

 

[debwal]

Hi there, welcome to BYC!

You got it, sit tight and be patient.

If you hear peeping they are internally pipped.
It could still take another 24 hours before hatch is complete.

Egg shell strength can vary by hen, as you already noticed. I personally would not be trying to intervene. See what happens, life finds a way!

Bantams in general hatch the same day as every other chick. There may be lines that hatch on day 20, but most will not in my experience. Interestingly, I hatched hundreds of Silkies all on day 21. This year my bantam Ameraucana, first time around with them, majority hatched on day 20. So I lowered my incubator temp for round 2... again many hatched day 20. Since you are on day 22, I would say yours aren't going to be hatching early.

Are you in the UK? I haven't seen Bluebells in the US.

Can't wait to see pics of your proud mama and her brood!

Quick update. 2 eggs hatched Sat/sun early hours Day23/24. One was pipping yesterday Day 24 must have arrived in the early hours as still a little damp 1st thing this morning. No.4 pipping day 25 so we have fingers crossed for a delivery today. No.5, no noises coming from it so we candled again this morning and turns out its just an egg, no chick. But we are happy to have what we have. They are so damn cute and tiny. Mum keeping them well tucked up and warm, poor thing hasn't moved off her nest for at least 4 days. Hope she sits tight just a little longer till little one breaks free.

 

[casportpony]

Congrats, they are adorable!