First time for me!! hen hatching eggs:questions

[2overeasy]

Today is day 21 (or maybe 22 b/c I was out of town on a Saturday, and didn't notice her sitting til Sunday) of my young buff and her first nesting. 2 or 3 hatched yesterday - at least 2. I'm trying to leave her alone - she's kind of witchy! but I'm so curious!

Anyway, she started with 9 eggs. I didn't candle them so I don't know how many were fertile. So if she's hatched 2, for sure, yesterday, how long will she continue to sit to hatch the others? Will she know, at some point, that some won't hatch? How long will it be before she'll want to take the chicks out? Right now, I have her in one of those plastic storage containers on the henhouse floor, on one side of the hen house closed off from the others. It is the side I've used for chicks I've had chicks where they can go with a totally enclosed yard. The other side of the henhouse has its own door that opens onto the property where they can free range. Anyway, she can get out of the box but the chicks can't. I have a cardboard box with one end cut out so the chicks can come out, but when should I move her?

And finally, how long will she care for the chicks, how will I know she is "over it" and can take her out of that area? I don't want the chicks free ranging at 4 weeks (or whenever), so I'll still keep them in the chick area. Besides, I have 10 chicks in a brooder in the bathroom that are 2 weeks old tomorrow that I'll be moving out there, too.

Thanks for your help. I've ordered chicks several times, but have never allowed a hen to go broody and hatch her own.

 

[2overeasy]

Sure could use some answers! Please?

 

[Razadia]

Since you say this is her first hatch, she may not sit very much longer. So some of them may not hatch even though they could have live chicks waiting to hatch. She may wait another day or so to see if any more hatch. If you want as many to hatch as there may be chicks to hatch (sorry if that doesn't make sense) then you should take the fluffies out and put them in the brooder, then give them back when she stops setting. I have that problem all the time, with the hen having a lot of chicks and deciding it's time to get off the nest. (I raise game chickens and my hens aren't the greatest at hatching.) As for how long she'll brood them, I'm not sure about how long. Sometimes it depends on the breed. I myself would candle them on day 23 to see if there's any movement.

Hope that was of some use to you. Happy Easter!