Day 18 egg under hen, very small chick in egg.

[z3lda3]

I’ve hatched plenty of chicks with an incubator and mama hen. Since I’ve had broodies, I don’t use the incubator. Anyway, Im a pro candler. I know what baby is supposed to look like in the egg, especially at day 18.
Mama has a clutch of 3, 2 of the eggs are perfectly on schedule. They fill most of the egg, a nice big air cell now. The 3rd egg…the mama is a leghorn, and daddy is either a bantam Cochin or a leghorn. The egg is white and when candling I can see the chick in there, moving a lot! Not frantic just active. I can see the beak opening and closing. Blood veins galore. But the chick isn’t even half the egg space. I marked the eggs, so if I’m off on my dates it can’t be more than a day. Have any of yall had this experience?

 

[Debbie292d]

I incubate a ton, and no, haven't seen that. Under a hen, sometimes some eggs may not be covered if she has a lot, so could be slower ones is all I can think of.

 

[z3lda3]

I incubate a ton, and no, haven't seen that. Under a hen, sometimes some eggs may not be covered if she has a lot, so could be slower ones is all I can think of.

Well at least I know I’m not crazy. Goodness, it looks like it’s 5-6 days behind. And I haven’t had a hen stay on the nest after hatch longer than 4 days. I can definitely put it in the incubator to finish if mama doesn’t, but will I be able to reintroduce it to its family?? What a pickle! If you have any advice please feel free to throw it my way!

 

[Debbie292d]

Well at least I know I’m not crazy. Goodness, it looks like it’s 5-6 days behind. And I haven’t had a hen stay on the nest after hatch longer than 4 days. I can definitely put it in the incubator to finish if mama doesn’t, but will I be able to reintroduce it to its family?? What a pickle! If you have any advice please feel free to throw it my way!

That's what I'd do though, put it in an incubator if the rest all hatch and it doesn't. It may be interesting if it hatches with the rest!

I don't let hens hatch anymore but when I did, twice I've put three day old chicks with a clutch of five day old chicks and it worked. These are silkies though so think they'd take a frog if I gave them one lol.

 

[z3lda3]

That's what I'd do though, put it in an incubator if the rest all hatch and it doesn't. It may be interesting if it hatches with the rest!

I don't let hens hatch anymore but when I did, twice I've put three day old chicks with a clutch of five day old chicks and it worked. These are silkies though so think they'd take a frog if I gave them one lol.

I’ve got a hen like that. A red sex link of all things! She’d raise a coyote if it’d fit under her. She just wants to mother anything and everything.
Well wish me luck!! I have no idea what’s going to happen. Just when I think I’ve got this chicken thing down, something happens and I’m confused AGAIN.

 

[Debbie292d]

I’ve got a hen like that. A red sex link of all things! She’d raise a coyote if it’d fit under her. She just wants to mother anything and everything.
Well wish me luck!! I have no idea what’s going to happen. Just when I think I’ve got this chicken thing down, something happens and I’m confused AGAIN.

Keep me (us) posted. You have me intrigued!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Did you start all of the eggs at the same time? That's the only thing I can think of that should cause that discrepancy, different incubation times. Not everything always makes sense though.

I agree, if it doesn't hatch before the hen takes the other chicks off of the nest stick it in the incubator and see if it will hatch. Will the hen take it if it does, even if it is a few days later than the others? Some will, some won't. You don't get guarantees. Will the two older chicks hurt it? Maybe, maybe not. I'd try it by sticking the chick under the hen at night after it had dried off, then be out there at daybreak to see how it is going.

Good luck.

 

[z3lda3]

Did you start all of the eggs at the same time? That's the only thing I can think of that should cause that discrepancy, different incubation times. Not everything always makes sense though.

I agree, if it doesn't hatch before the hen takes the other chicks off of the nest stick it in the incubator and see if it will hatch. Will the hen take it if it does, even if it is a few days later than the others? Some will, some won't. You don't get guarantees. Will the two older chicks hurt it? Maybe, maybe not. I'd try it by sticking the chick under the hen at night after it had dried off, then be out there at daybreak to see how it is going.

Good luck.

Guarantees with chickens?? Ha! Although I will say I’m definitely more likely to “guarantee” something with my roosters opposed to my hens. For example I guarantee you’re not going to find three of my roosters squeezed into the same nesting box, even though there’s MULTIPLE other vacant ones.
So Trudy(mama hen) laid one of her own eggs. I put 2 additional eggs under her. If there’s a time discrepancy it’s not by more than 12 hrs or so. But..the eggs are from 3 different hens. 2 are half bantam and the late bloomer is from a standard size. So, correct me if I’m wrong, isn’t it possible the 2 bantams develop a smidge faster, maybe hatch a couple days earlier than 21? It still leaves me in a pickle but maybe an explanation?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I've read that smaller eggs can hatch faster than larger eggs. When I tried it in an incubator by marking the eggs and keeping track of when they hatched I did not see any difference due to size. These were all dual purpose hens but some were pullet eggs so fairly small compared to the larger hen eggs.

@Debbie292d hatches Silkies, which lay smaller eggs. You continually read on here that the smaller Silkie eggs will consistently hatch 2 or more days early. If I remember right Debbie has not had that experience.

Different things can cause eggs to be early or late, even if they are treated similarly. Heredity can be one. Since yours have different parents I'd think heredity is more likely than egg size. But that's just me thinking. We know what that's worth.

 

[z3lda3]

I've read that smaller eggs can hatch faster than larger eggs. When I tried it in an incubator by marking the eggs and keeping track of when they hatched I did not see any difference due to size. These were all dual purpose hens but some were pullet eggs so fairly small compared to the larger hen eggs.

@Debbie292d hatches Silkies, which lay smaller eggs. You continually read on here that the smaller Silkie eggs will consistently hatch 2 or more days early. If I remember right Debbie has not had that experience.

Different things can cause eggs to be early or late, even if they are treated similarly. Heredity can be one. Since yours have different parents I'd think heredity is more likely than egg size. But that's just me thinking. We know what that's worth.

Your thinking is worth a lot to me! Thank you!!