Hatching for Valentine's Day???

[CovenantCreek]

Last time I checked I had 4 pips. Today is only day 20 so we seem to be off to a good start.

 

[Indigohills7]

Jumping aboard late to this thread. Sorry. Set 12 eggs under my broodie Buff Orph on 1/23 Friday. Two smashed early on. I never candled since they were all mixed brown shells.

As of this morning 4 hatched, but 6 are just lying there ... hen just pooped about 4" roll, which I took out of the nest box. She is tending to get off nest now and take chicks to water ?? Leaves the 6 cooling off.

Today is day 21. One egg, I think, died this week when she kicked it out of the nest and I didn't find it right away. But I am surprised that the others aren't pipping or rocking or anything.

Should I pull the remaining eggs and put them on a washclothe with a heat lamp ?

Any ideas, welcome, since I just put her back on her nest and tucked her babies under her wing.

Thanks, Eileen

 

[Bec]

I have my first ever PIP!!! I am so excited! DH has soccer tonight, the kids are with my parents for the weekend so that means I am camping out in the barn tonight!!!

It was so sweet, I could hear peeping and tapping!!!!!

 

[newchickenfamily]

I've got 3 due to hatch on Valentine's day too! One pip today (Day 20). Go chickies!!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Well, I'm on day 19 and I've got nothing nada zilch from my 27 eggs so far LOL

BUT I did have 2 power outtages during this incubation, soooo I will be dully surprised if anyone does indeed hatch on time. I expect them to be a day or two late.

 

[noriko]

If you keep the chicks with the eggs under mommy, Mommy will take care of her chicks instead of the eggs. Because after three days, chicks have to eat & drink. So, the best thing to do is taking all of chicks out of under mommy (if it's possible...) and leave the eggs under her. I heard many people said that work!! I've never had a problem with that but that's usually people do~~. You can put the babies in the brooder for a while till all eggs are hatched. and if you want, you can put those babies back under mommy hen with the others. Good luck with your baibes & Mommy hen

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[Sunny Side Up]

Eileen, what you do all depends on just how much you want to try and get chicks to hatch from every egg your broody incubated. The hen usually stays on the nest for a day while most of the chicks hatch. The ones who hatch first are content to stay in the nest while their siblings hatch. The hen usually stays in the nest without eating/drinking/pooping for that day. Sometimes I've seen them eating the membranes from the hatched eggs.

Once she's taken her new family for their first outing, the rest of the eggs are left to cool. I've rarely seen a hen return to the nest and have those extra eggs hatch. Some of those may be duds, but some still contain live chicks. But the Mama hen has a new focus, her hatched chicks, and she's content to leave those others.

But, if you really really want every chick to hatch, you can do what you said or what Noriko suggested -- take the eggs out to hatch in a brooder, or take the chicks out and make Mama continue to set.

My 2 broodies seem to have been successful with their hatches. I got home after sunset and saw 2 chicks peeking out from under one hen's wings, and think I heard peeping from the other hen's nest box. I did reach under the first hen & pulled out the 2 remaining eggs to see that they weren't yet pipping, don't know how many eggs are left to hatch under the second hen. I'm looking forward to seeing the new families by daylight tomorrow.

 

[chickenlover456]

No pips, but i'm really excited for tomorrow! Just made the finishing touches on my brooder. My chicks are going to be the msot spoiled in the whole world.

 

[shelleyd2008]

chicken stalker ;p :

Still no peeps, no pips, no egg movement either hmmm...trying to be patient.

I don't think it looks like I'm going to get a chick.

Same here. This is my 2nd time trying to hatch silkies, and if I don't get any this time I think I'm gonna give up.

 

[crazychicken]

Come on guys you have to be able to make me

, I want to see some babies even if I can't have one