Fertile eggs not hatching after 25 days

[LemonyCatapult]

Yeah, it was probably a staggered hatch which might have some people confused given the hen will 'set' on the first however many eggs and then continues to deposit more after. That or she constantly gets off her nest to gossip with the other hens, only to realize soo much time have passed so she rushes back to her eggs 4 hours late each time.

Thanks! Makes sense.

 

[LemonyCatapult]

Hmm maybe incorrect temperature under her? Weather? So sorry!

Thank you! Waiting patiently.

 

[LemonyCatapult]

I’m in southern Ontario, it’s been an average of 25-30 degrees Celsius the last month. There is definitely movement. I’m now thinking that maybe the first batch of chicks were infertile or something was off and I’m now hoping the ones that I’ve seen movement in are the ones due to hatch in the next couple days. Thanks!

And no I didn’t mark them, and now it seems too late as they are all mixed together! Definitely learned some lessons this time around!

 

[PirateGirl]

Is it 25 days since the first egg was laid or 25 days since she started sitting?

Count day 1 as the first day she wouldn't leave the nest.

 

[JesusHChicken]

I have a hen that’s been sitting on a large batch of eggs for the past 25 days. This is her first time brooding at all and it was kind of unexpected, long story short, there are eggs under her from 25 days ago and eggs under her from 4 days ago and everywhere in between!

I’ve candled some eggs and most of them are quite far along in development. It’s now been 25 days and none have hatched?

See any moving around when candling? Had a barred rock cross take 25 days to hatch.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Eggs aged from 25 to 4 days is the definition of a staggered hatch.
Staggered hatches are never a good thing. Everyone is always talking about natural or organic poultry but poultry in a natural or organic setting will choce a nest location that is isolated. There are many posts on BYC.COM about hens disappearing and being feared as fox bait, only to show up with 12 to 18 baby chicks. Chicken coops, chicken pens, & chicken runs are in no way a true natural or free range housing option.

If you are serious about hatching eggs and not just producing rotten eggs, collect those eggs daily (or more often during cold weather) and store these eggs under the best possible conditions as outlined by books like "A GUIDE TO BETTER HATCHING"

 

[chickengeorgeto]

How more clearer can I say it? A hen setting takes longer to hatch than if one was to use an incubator which takes less time. I hear it's 25 days for eggs to hatch if using a broody hen.

An incubator is a machine that is designed to duplicate everything that a mother hen does to produce a clutch of baby chicks. In 70 + years I have never heard of an egg that had a magnetic strip or thumb drive slot on it that was designed to program said egg for hatching in either a natural hens' nest in 25 days or in 21 days in an unnatural incubator.

 

[ChickensAndYoga]

Only thing I can suggest is, if your broody is tolerant and won’t break from her nest when bothered, take a basket and non toxic marker out there and candle every single egg. Leave the furthest along eggs under her and mark them. Every egg who looks the closest in development. Then discard or incubate the rest. Sadly, you can’t save them All without an incubator for the newer ones and she will either abandon them anyway when older eggs hatch or ignore her new chicks to sit on newer ones which after 25 days already isn’t ideal for her at all.

 

[LemonyCatapult]

Is it 25 days since the first egg was laid or 25 days since she started sitting?

Count day 1 as the first day she wouldn't leave the nest.

That’s where I think I may be off, there were three eggs in the nest when I noticed she hadn’t been leaving to free range with the others so my calculations could be off, maybe she started laying on them consistently at a different time than I thought she did

 

[LemonyCatapult]

Thanks everyone!! I must have just miscalculated when she began brooding, the first chick is currently hatching!!