Eggs at different stages of development

[ChikenGeek]

So my broody was on 9 eggs. 4 disappeared. Of the five that are left:
One hatched Monday night.
One seems a day or so away from hatch (candled egg shows no space left inside).
One has about a half inch of space left inside.
Two are veiny throughout and dark to one side.
They all seem to be progressing, but are at different stages.

I know some of the later eggs must have come from other hens getting in her nest.
This is my first hatch and I'm not sure what to do. Should I let her sit it through? Do I need to take out the chick that hatched? I have other chicks I purchased that I could put it with. I took them both food and water today. Help!

 

[Ridgerunner]

High, welcome to the forum. Glad you found us.

This is what we call a staggered hatch, it's way too common, especially with first hatches, either under a broody hen or even in an incubator. They are way too stressful. The next time I suggest you collect all the eggs you want a broody to hatch, mark them, and start them all at the same time so they hatch together. Check under her every day after the others have laid for the day and remove any that don't belong. As long as you remove them every day you can still use them. Butt that is next time.

You have a few options, all of them stressful and with a possibility of failure. If left on her own the hen will have to make a decision, does she bring her first chicks to hatch off the nest when they need food or water or does she let them starve to death or die of thirst while waiting for later eggs to hatch? Most hens choose to take the first chicks off.

Before the chicks hatch they absorb the yolk. They can live off of that for three days or more. That's why they can be mailed. Not all the eggs hatch at the same time even id started together so the earlier ones can wait on the later ones as long as it is not too long. After the eggs internal pip they start talking to the hen and she talks back. That way she knows more are coming so she doesn't leave too early. But in your case there may be too much difference in timing so the next doesn't internal pip until after she is off the nest.

So, what are your options. You could just let nature run its coarse an do nothing. Let the broody hen do whatever she does and accept whatever happens. Probably not your top choice. It sounds like the hatch is going to be spread out quite a bit.

You can put food and water where the broody and chicks can get to them without leaving the nest. Sounds like you are already doing this. That might keep the broody hen on the nest a bit longer, allowing a later egg or two to hatch. The chicks will start pooping in the nest fairly soon so there is a limited time before the remaining eggs get messy which could allow bacteria inside which would kill the late hatchers. Still this might buy you a couple of days.

You can remove the chicks as they hatch and dry off and raise them yourself. That might keep the broody hen on the nest with the other eggs or she might leave the nest looking for the chick.

You can get an incubator and try hatching the later eggs yourself.

As a side issue, depending on how many you have and how old they are, you might give the other chicks you mentioned to the broody to raise. The younger they are the more likely that is to work but some hens will adopt almost any chick, others will not.

I'm afraid I'm going to add to your stress level. You mentioned that four eggs disappeared. Was that with no trace? Did they all disappear at the same time of was it spread out? I've had a snake eat the eggs out from under a broody hen. A five foot rat snake ate 4 at a time, went away for a few days to digest them, then came back for more. A smaller snake might eat one or two at a time. A snake can eat a baby chick. I don't know if this is a possibility for you and those disappearing egg, but did they disappear without a trace? Or have you figured out that something else happened. It was really creepy walking into the coop and seeing a snake in the nest with the hen in the middle of the afternoon.

Good luck and once again, welcome.

 

[ChikenGeek]

I have had a snake problem. I killed a three foot one just last weekend that was right next to her in the neighboring nest. I've killed a larger one a couple weeks ago. I've been checking on them multiple times a day since.

I thought maybe she had kicked some of them out, because I dropped an egg and the other hens freaked and went after it like crazy. The first batch was under her while I was away for a couple days and the hubby wasn't sure which nest she was supposed to be in. She had moved nests onto new eggs when I got back and I don't know for how long. I marked the original ones and put them back under her, but those were the ones that disappeared.

As to the other chicks I purchased, we bought them on Father's Day and they are already starting to get some regular feathers. I know they weren't day old or even close when we got them.

 

[ChikenGeek]

#2 started hatching today

 

[chickens really]

Leave things alone a couple of days and wait..Momma will make you decide what to do..