Hatching eggs under hen

[macondon]

We have a setting hen that is due to hatch her eggs today. Question-we put several eggs under her the day after she started to set-will those hatch at the same time? Does anyone know?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Chicken eggs take about 21 days to hatch. Eggs started together will hatch within about a day of each other, some a little earlier and somea little later. If eggs are started a day later, they will hatch a day later.

 

[Tumbleweed]

My Dominique hen has been on 2 eggs for over 21 days. The second egg was layed a few days after the first. Do you think the 21 days started with the second egg? If so I'm not giving up yet. This is my first experience with this and I did candle both eggs and found chicks in each, but could only see that there was an air sac and the rest dark. Somewhere I read that as the time gets near you can hear the chicks?? I don't hear anything. Any ideas?

 

[chickenpiedpiper]

An old timer once explained to me, that a broody hen will continue to lay and sit on her own eggs, until she has a satisfactory clutch. Then her body temp rises, and all the eggs start to develop together. This makes all of the eggs hatch at the same time, rather than one a day like they were laid! So, as long as you put your other eggs under her early on, before her body temp goes up, You should be OK!

Good Luck!

 

[dancingbear]

They don't actually set on the eggs constantly until ready to brood. A hen will return to the same nest repeatedly, and lay an egg there everyday, but she doesn't stay on them until she goes broody. Whether there are fifty eggs in the nest, or only one, or even if the nest is empty. A broody will hunker down in the nest even if there are no eggs. Some never go broody at all regardless of how many eggs are in the nest.

Once a hen does begin to set, that is, stay on the nest full time except for her short daily break, the eggs begin to develop. If eggs are added later, they begin to develop, later. They take 21 days. Eggs added later will hatch later. If the hen has already left the nest with the hatched chicks, before eggs that were added later are due to hatch, the remaining eggs usually die unless another hen takes over, or they are transferred to an incubator.

A hen that is not broody will not stay on the eggs. If she did, a hen at normal body temp is still warm enough for the eggs to start developing.

 

[kuntrygirl]

I am notorious for adding extra eggs under my broody hens after they have hunkered down and begun to set. I have done this for many years. In my case, I only put eggs under her within a 2 day period after she has settled in. I wait to collect the eggs that I want hatched. The eggs normally hatch within a day or 2 after the original eggs. It never fails. I always have a staggered hatch but this has never been a problem. I mark my calendar on the day she actually begins to set on her own eggs and I mark the calendar on the day that I place the other eggs under her and like clockwork.......21 days later after placing the eggs under her.......they hatch!!!!

Example: My OEG hen was scheduled for staggered hatches this past Friday, Saturday and Sunday. And like clockwork, all 7 of the eggs hatched on their designated days. Over the past months, I have used my broody hens to hatch many of my eggs and so far, my count is 30 baby chicks and counting.

 

[dancingbear]

Quote:
So your hatches are spread out over 2 or 3 days, and your hens never leave any unhatched eggs in the nest? I wish I could count on mine to stick on the nest that long. Mine will often leave the nest 24-48 hours after the first chicks hatch, some sooner. I won't add eggs to mine, after the first day, I'd end up losing a lot of chicks. I usually set at least 10 eggs under mine, most of them are pretty big girls. Some get a dozen, a couple can cover up to 14.

A two-three day spread isn't too bad, though, and it seems to be working fine for you. Some add eggs for about a week. Or more. I've even read posts from people adding eggs, (or allowing other hens to add eggs) through the whole incubation, then get upset when things don't work out very well. They seem to be surprised that the hen doesn't stay on those half-developed unhatched eggs, when there are live chicks running around to be cared for.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Quote:
So your hatches are spread out over 2 or 3 days, and your hens never leave any unhatched eggs in the nest? I wish I could count on mine to stick on the nest that long. Mine will often leave the nest 24-48 hours after the first chicks hatch, some sooner. I won't add eggs to mine, after the first day, I'd end up losing a lot of chicks. I usually set at least 10 eggs under mine, most of them are pretty big girls. Some get a dozen, a couple can cover up to 14.

A two-three day spread isn't too bad, though, and it seems to be working fine for you. Some add eggs for about a week. Or more. I've even read posts from people adding eggs, (or allowing other hens to add eggs) through the whole incubation, then get upset when things don't work out very well. They seem to be surprised that the hen doesn't stay on those half-developed unhatched eggs, when there are live chicks running around to be cared for.

Yes, my hatches are spread out over 2 - 3 days. My hens NEVER leave any unhatched eggs in the nest. It's almost like they are waiting around just to see if the other eggs will hatch. After the first day of hatching, I always bring my hens inside and place them in a large dog kennel in my extra bedroom. I do not want predators to get them. So, that usually leaves 2 more hatch days. So while in the dog kennel, they continue to sit and sit until the other eggs hatch. I leave the dog kennel door open so that they can get up, stretch their legs and walk around and eat drink if they need to but they rarely get up. They don't really move around until the remaining eggs are hatched. I don't know if my hens sent out a memo telling all broody hens to sit until all eggs are hatch but they have NEVER abandoned eggs and I have been having chickens for years and years. I guess I'm just lucky. That's why I always take advantage of the situation and place the eggs that I specifically want to hatch. I have always placed only 7 but I may try 10 next time. The max amount that I place under my banty chickens are 6 eggs and I usually place the large breed chicken eggs under the bantys in addition to their banty eggs that they have layed.