Day 19 and one hatched

[Melnich]

First time chicken grandma here I have 7 fertilized eggs I bought. Today is day 19 and it looks like we’re going to have a chick tonight. Will Momma abandon the remaining 6 or will she sit for 2 more days? Also- if she does can someone guide me on how to set up my incubator to get through possibly 2 days?

 

[Pigeony]

She will likely keep sitting for at least 24 hours, if not sit through the next 48 hours. The baby will want to stay under her not doing much at first, and one baby being hatched will encourage the others. Pre-setting the incubator in case she leaves any live ones is potentially a good idea, aim for 99.5-100.5 (for forced air incubators) and 60%+ humidity. Candle before incubating if you can, if she abandons a couple eggs, it may be that she didn't detect any life in them. Confirming they're alive prevents you from wasting time incubating non-viable eggs.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Today is day 19 and it looks like we’re going to have a chick tonight. Will Momma abandon the remaining 6 or will she sit for 2 more days?

You do not get guarantees with living animals. No one can tell you what you will see. Before the chick hatches it absorbs the yolk. It can live off of that yolk for over 72 hours if it is healthy. The hen can hear chicks peeping in the eggs before they external pip so she can tell when more are coming. Nature has it set up so the hen can wait until they all hatch before taking them off of the nest and most will wait. But I can't guarantee what any individual hen will do. Most does not mean all.

I've had hatches where all of the chicks that were going to hatch had hatched within 16 hours of the first chick hatching, even if it was a couple of days early like yours. The broody had them off of the nest within 24 hours of the first one hatching. I've had hatches that were stretched out well beyond 48 hours after the first one hatched. There are many different reasons for that, whether it was in an incubator or under a broody hen. You don't get guarantees on anything.

Here's wishing you the best.