Help, info and advice needed please!!

[Kazziepooh]

OK, I have a Brahma hen sat on eggs. She started out with 5 and we are down to 3 due to 2 mishaps. She's been brilliant, she's not needed lifting off, she's taken food and drink breaks as the text book suggested but we are on day 23 and no sign of hatching. I haven't candled the eggs, (I didn't read that forum before hand) and from what I've read of that forum, it's too late to candle, though I'm not sure why.

What do I do now? If we abandon this on the assumption that the eggs are no good, she will stop being broody?

Can it take longer than the 21 days suggested in my book or does the fact that we're on day 23 mean they're definitely not going to hatch now?

If the failure means she'll go on being broody, do I give her more eggs (now I know about candling)?

We only set out to have chickens to love as our pets and enjoy their eggs but thought the opportunity to hatch some eggs when this one went broody, would be a nice experience for our children. Oh boy is it giving me nightmares now

 

[randerson846]

Yes if they don't hatch, she should continue being broody it might encourage her if those ones dong hatch(there's still a chance don't throw them out till after 24 days) put some eggs under her until u get new ones and she should sit on them till that hatch

 

[Puddin Fluff]

Are they her eggs or did you give them to her? Do you have a rooster or just two hens?

You don't candle at the end because If there is a chick inside, it pretty much fills up the egg and you don't see anything but a dark mass.

BTW,

.

 

[henroo]

I suggest that you wait till day 25... it is not rare that eggs hatch later than 21 days...if the eggs don't hatch then candle them to see...if even then you don't know what to do crack open one to see if they are dead.. its the last option to open the egg...

 

[Kazziepooh]

OK, so hope for one more day then, thank you.

We have a cockerel and 5 hens. They are not her eggs because she was broody for 4 days before we decided to give it a go for some chicks. The eggs are from the other 4 hens. The 2 that she broke were fertile (sadly), she has been a bit glumsy in her attentiveness, even though she's still very approachable and friendly and not yet turned into the demon hen described in our book, lol. I have collected and stored another 3 eggs over the last 2 days so if all else fails, I will remove the current ones on Saturday and start again, but I will candle them this time as per the very helpful forum that I read on here earlier.

Thank you so much for your help

 

[Kazziepooh]

OK, henroo, thank you

 

[henroo]

you are welcome... we are here to help and solve people problems...

 

[Kazziepooh]

Soo excited! Just been to shut up for night and I can hear cheeping from the 3 remaining eggs. Guess that answers my worries and doubts

 

[henroo]

I told you that it's not rare that eggs take longer to hatch... so happy that you will finally get your first chicks...

 

[randerson846]

Have they all piped