Eggs hatching at different times

[Beth0202]

Hello, this is my first hatch ever! I have seven eggs being hatched by my little silkie cross. We are at day 22 and I have one fluffy dry hatched chick from overnight and one just out if the shell still wet, and one just pipping. The others haven't externally pipped yet but I can feel them moving.
My concern is that mom will abandon the later hatching eggs now that a few chicks are out?
Thanks!

 

[PD-Riverman]

Hello, this is my first hatch ever! I have seven eggs being hatched by my little silkie cross. We are at day 22 and I have one fluffy dry hatched chick from overnight and one just out if the shell still wet, and one just pipping. The others haven't externally pipped yet but I can feel them moving.
My concern is that mom will abandon the later hatching eggs now that a few chicks are out?
Thanks!

If the eggs were all set at the same time they should all hatch with in a day of each other and want be a problem.

If you allowed others hens to lay eggs in her nest and did not remove them---after she started setting----you got a problem. She will leave the unhatched eggs to take care of her hatched or will ignore the already hatched and try to hatch the rest. You will have to help one way or the other----either remove chicks as they hatch/dry to a brooder or monitor and place unhatched eggs in a incubator when she gets off the nest.

 

[Beth0202]

All of the eggs were set at the same time. I dated them and removed any eggs laid after that. I'm not sure why some are taking longer. My fear is that I'll come home from work today and find mom caring for the hatched chicks, possibly away from the nest, and the later hatching eggs will be cold..

 

[Beth0202]

Here is the progress so far if anyone was curious

 

[PD-Riverman]

Here is the progress so far if anyone was curious

LOL, I am glad you are not in my pen---we would be having some problems. But she is yours and you can do it your way.

My hens lock-down(stay on the nest) the last 2 to 3 days to increase the moisture under them for the hatch(like a incubator)---I would never tilt them up or remove them because it can and Will effect the hatch here---Maybe not where you are at. Good Luck

 

[Beth0202]

Never claimed to be an expert! If they don't hatch maybe that's why

I'll keep that in mind. She's also a young first time mom so I'm probably lucky we've made it this far. She was off the nest on her own yesterday while the first egg was pipped but I did lift her up this morning to take a look. If I saw something horribly wrong I was going to call out of work but they looked fine assuming I didn't just ruin it by picking up the mom!

 

[PD-Riverman]

Never claimed to be an expert! If they don't hatch maybe that's why

I'll keep that in mind. She's also a young first time mom so I'm probably lucky we've made it this far. She was off the nest on her own yesterday while the first egg was pipped but I did lift her up this morning to take a look. If I saw something horribly wrong I was going to call out of work but they looked fine assuming I didn't just ruin it by picking up the mom!

Edited

 

[Pork Pie]

Never claimed to be an expert! If they don't hatch maybe that's why

I'll keep that in mind. She's also a young first time mom so I'm probably lucky we've made it this far. She was off the nest on her own yesterday while the first egg was pipped but I did lift her up this morning to take a look. If I saw something horribly wrong I was going to call out of work but they looked fine assuming I didn't just ruin it by picking up the mom!

It's not desirable to move a broody hen, but not the end of the world either. Even if things don't go to plan, its unlikely that picking up momma for a minute will have been the cause.

 

[Beth0202]

This is my first broody hen to hatch eggs so I don't have any other experience to go by personally. She is young.. just started laying herself about 5 weeks ago. I have 10 other chickens and a rooster that share her space only at night. Every morning for the last week I've gotten up at daybreak to let the others out until dusk so they don't disturb her. Most mornings she has hopped out of the nest while I'm letting the others out..she likes to step out and grab a few mouthfuls of grass and water and then goes back in. I haven't seen her out longer than 6-7 minutes in the last 5 days and she didn't come out this morning. That's why I had to lift her up to look at them.
This is a learning experience for me so I appreciate any advice!
Thanks

 

[Pork Pie]

This is my first broody hen to hatch eggs so I don't have any other experience to go by personally. She is young.. just started laying herself about 5 weeks ago. I have 10 other chickens and a rooster that share her space only at night. Every morning for the last week I've gotten up at daybreak to let the others out until dusk so they don't disturb her. Most mornings she has hopped out of the nest while I'm letting the others out..she likes to step out and grab a few mouthfuls of grass and water and then goes back in. I haven't seen her out longer than 6-7 minutes in the last 5 days and she didn't come out this morning. That's why I had to lift her up to look at them.
This is a learning experience for me so I appreciate any advice!
Thanks

You've done fine! We all learn as we go and experience is the best teacher. As it's your broody's first time and she has only just begun to lay I think that hatching any chicks should be considered a good result. The best thing is to try not to overthink things - she knows what she's doing (and even if she doesn't - there's little that you can do). Do you have any plans for once the gets off the nest with her chicks? Are you planning on separating them from the flock, or letting them mingle? I've always let my broodies mingle with the flock, but other members separate momma and chicks to prevent the chicks being pecked by other flock members.