eggs at different stages

[Nathaniel Walton]

So i hatched 21/24 eggs in an incubator last year with 4/4 from under a hen, this year there are 5 eggs under a hen that has been broody for a long time and i think they are around day 17-18 of hatching, but one of them is 3 days younger than the 4 others, all fertile and growing. Is it okay for 4 to hatch before the other, will the hen stay on it and keep it from being smashed? Any advice appreciated, stuck on what to do.
TIA

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Maybe but not likely. The hatched babies need to start eating and drinking so the Hem will need to leave the nest and tend to their needs which is why it's best not to have staggered hatches.

 

[Jbently28]

Perhaps you could pull the chicks that hatch first and replace them with nonfertile eggs until the day before the last one hatches. Then the day before hatch day you could slip the chicks back in at night and remove the eggs. She shouldn't have a problem accepting chicks that are a couple of days old. Plenty of people have gone out and bought chicks to give to their broodies. If she doesn't accept them, then you may just have to pull them from her again. But at least that will keep her from leaving the nest before the last hatches.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

^ good suggestion

 

[Nathaniel Walton]

Perhaps you could pull the chicks that hatch first and replace them with nonfertile eggs until the day before the last one hatches. Then the day before hatch day you could slip the chicks back in at night and remove the eggs. She shouldn't have a problem accepting chicks that are a couple of days old. Plenty of people have gone out and bought chicks to give to their broodies. If she doesn't accept them, then you may just have to pull them from her again. But at least that will keep her from leaving the nest before the last hatches.

Yeah i think i will do that, although I dont know exactly when the first 4 are going to hatch, or even if the one that was a few days behind is still there as an egg got smashed about a week ago which could've been any of them. I have a space ready in house to do this if it turns out like that, or if i am too late after they have hatched maty just hav to hope the last one is going to be okay as i have had instances where i have takes eggs from the broody hen and she has stopped being broody straight away, this hen infact