Eggs 1-2 days apart under broody hen. Is this a concern?

[sunny & the 5 egg layers]

On June 22nd my golden sebright bantam hen began sitting on a nest of 9 golf balls and 1 of her own eggs. I believe she began nesting in the morning of this day.

On June 23rd at about 9:00 pm I added another bantam egg and removed the golf balls. I moved my hen to a cage with a new nest so that the rest of the flock would not bother her, primarily when the chicks hatch.

My question is, come hatch day will she get off the nest before the second egg has a chance to hatch?

I think day 21 for the first egg would be on July 13th (morning) and day 21 for the second egg would be on 14th (at night) Am I right?

She is a first time broody and I have never had a broody before. So it should be interesting! I'm enjoying letting my hen take the wheel!

 

[MySweetChickens]

hens usually sit on the nest an extra day or so that way the baby can dry off and rest so i think that she should be ok

 

[Ridgerunner]

There is no way to know until it happens. Not all eggs hatch at exactly 21 days, even under a broody hen. Some can be as much as 2 days early or late due to a lot of different things. Sebright eggs tend to hatch a bit early too. Often the hatch is over within 24 hours of when it starts but occasionally it can drag out over two days. The good part of that is that if one egg is early, the others tend to be a bit early too. But that is why the chick absorbs the yolk before hatch, so it can stay in the nest for as much as three days without needing to eat and drink.

The hen and the chick talk to each other after the chick internal pips. Generally the hen knows if all have hatched or if some are still on the way so she can wait for a late one. But if the chicks that have hatched get hungry or thirsty they let her know by how they peep, then the hen has to make a decision. Does she take the ones that have hatched to find food and water or does she put them at risk for the sake of the late hatchers? Most will take care of the ones that have already hatched.

Staggered hatches like this are a more difficult in an incubator than when the eggs are started at the same time. Under a broody hen they can be downright stressful.

Good luck!