Hen hatching eggs

[JenBreese]

The eggs went under my broody hen on Aug 11, so Sept 1 is my hatch date. Here in California it has been very hot so I've noticed my hen getting up and not totally covering the eggs. I extended her shade a bit in hopes it helps. She is dedication and nearly all the time I check her, she's sitting on them. It has been hot here, 90's.

Question:
1. Are the eggs likely to hatch? She is a first time setter but she's been dedicated.
2. How long should I wait past Sept 1 for them to hatch? When I dispose of them, should I check for fertility? I got some of the eggs from my neighbor hens/rooster. She might want to know if they are.

I have to say this is a totally nerve wracking process.

 

[LRH97]

If you were hatching in an incubator, this would be considered the "lockdown" phase of incubation. The "no opening the incubator at all" phase. If you haven't been candling the eggs to see which ones are developing, it's just a waiting game. However, to be completely honest, I've candled eggs at this time before while hatching with a broody and I've had 100% hatch rates. As far as the eggs that don't hatch, I throw away after day 25. By that time, I have usually lost hope for those. I also do not recommend breaking open an egg to check fertility after it's been under a hen for 20+ days in 90 degree weather. I've had plenty of those bust before, and it is not a fun experience. Hope you have a successful hatch!

 

[chickengeorgeto]

The eggs went under my broody hen on Aug 11, so Sept 1 is my hatch date. .....

No, August the second is your hatch date. Setting and hatching eggs is a process that requires 21 days to complete. Get out your smart phone or get down your calendar and see when 21 days are complete. If you set eggs on August 11, the first day of the process is not complete until August 12.

 

[Miss717]

No, August the second is your hatch date. Setting and hatching eggs is a process that requires 21 days to complete. Get out your smart phone or get down your calendar and see when 21 days are complete. If you set eggs on August 11, the first day of the process is not complete until August 12.

No the OP is correct September 1 would be day 21.

 

[bobbi-j]

"Hatch Day" could be anywhere from 18-24 days after setting them. Yes, 21 days is what it usually is, but sometimes things speed up or slow down. (In this case, with the warmer weather, I'd guess they'd hatch sooner rather than later) If the eggs were set on Fri. the 11th, then Fri. Sept. 1 would be the target date.

OP, I'd give it a good 2-3 days after the hatch before removing the eggs if they haven't hatched. Generally, (if they were all set at the same time) any chicks that are going to hatch will hatch within 24 hours after the first one. Your hen may answer the question of how long to wait before disposing of any unhatched eggs by taking the babies that do hatch off the nest. I had one broody this summer (unfortunately got killed later on by a mink) who would take them off the nest within 24 hours of her chicks hatching. The ones that didn't hatch under her, were never going to. They either hadn't developed or died in the shell.

Whether or not you want to crack open any unhatched eggs is entirely up to you. Can you handle seeing a dead chick in the shell? You want to be careful for any potential rotten ones and open them outside, far away from the house.

 

[Ridgerunner]

An easy way to check your counting is the day of the week you set them is the day of the week the 21 day period is up. August 11 was a Friday so the 21 day period is up Friday September 1.

1. Are the eggs likely to hatch? She is a first time setter but she's been dedicated.

I've had great success with first time broody hens. I see that warning about first time broodies and how horrible they are. That's not been my experience. 90 degrees is not that hot for a broody hen. They can regulate temperatures very well. I think you have an excellent chance to hatch of many of them hatching.

2. How long should I wait past Sept 1 for them to hatch?

It depends on how your hatch goes. I've had broody hens hatch two full days early, some people have them hatch quite late late. When my broody hens hatch I leave them alone and let them bring the chicks off the nest whenever they want to. Sometimes that's within 24 hours of the first one hatching, sometimes it's more than 3 full days after the first egg hatches. I just wait until she brings her chicks off the nest.

If for some really strange reason none hatch, 25 days is as good as any to ditch the eggs. I've never had to face that.

When I dispose of them, should I check for fertility? I got some of the eggs from my neighbor hens/rooster. She might want to know if they are.

Purely up to you, I always do. Technically you are not checking for fertility, you are checking for development and maybe if any stopped along the way try to guess about when they stopped. Lack of fertility is not the only reason an egg would not develop. How the eggs were handled and stored can kill the embryo of a fertile egg so it never develops. If an egg gets too hot, too cold, was stored too long, or was handled too roughly even an originally fertile egg won't develop.

 

[bobbieschicks]

The broody is unproven so hopefully her instincts will be good. You don't say what breed she is, not that it matters too much, but in my few years of having various breeds and broody girls, some have made better mommas then others.

If her instincts are good she will sit tight and talk to her unhatched chicks for a day or so before they hatch and you can sometimes hear them talk back. She will wait until the right time to leave her nest and usually it's within a day or so after the first chick hatches and generally all that are going to hatch will hatch in that time frame.

Once they hatch she will take care of cleaning them, talking to them, clucking instructions and pecking the ones who disobey. Within a few days my broody girls will leave the hatch nest area for another safe area and by the end of the first week she will have them out of the coop and in the yard under her watchful care.

Give up any chance of bonding with the chicks now and she will take over being their mom. But since she's unproven watch her with the other chickens nearby if your flock is mixed ages like mine. A good broody won't go crazy chasing everyone, she will instead show her new babies the pecking order and teach them how to merge in.

A good broody is a thing of beauty to watch. And it's such a joy to see the babies pop out from under her feathers.

Of course the reverse can be true. A bad momma can happen. She can squash the babies if she's too rough or kill them if she freaks out. But in all my times of having chicks, hatched and purchased, for my various broodies, I've only had one scary time and it was with an old rooster who picked up and flung a baby chick (the chick was fine). Not sure why he did it, but that broody went wild on him and he never touched those babies again.

Take a deep breathe - you've got this!

 

[JenBreese]

Thanks! So tonight when I picked up the feed before bed, I heard a baby chick! Momma was sitting on the nest and I could hear the peeps coming from underneath here. I have a video to share of the peeping. I'm really curious but I didn't bother her much. She's a Buff Orp.

Do you think the rest of the eggs will be likely to hatch sooner than later? Wow. I really hope for more girls than boys.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

.... I've only had one scary time and it was with an old rooster who picked up and flung a baby chick (the chick was fine). Not sure why he did it, but that broody went wild on him and he never touched those babies again....

Don't be shy about allowing your hen hatched chicks to run with the flock. When it matters (when the chicks are still small) your brood hen will do all of her chicks' heavy fighting. That way they are in effect born into the pecking order.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Thanks! So tonight when I picked up the feed before bed, I heard a baby chick! Momma was sitting on the nest and I could hear the peeps coming from underneath here. I have a video to share of the peeping. I'm really curious but I didn't bother her much. She's a Buff Orp.

Do you think the rest of the eggs will be likely to hatch sooner than later? Wow. I really hope for more girls than boys.

In an incubator and under a broody hen I've had eggs hatch two full days early and the hatch be over within 24 hours. I've had them hatch on time and the hatch be over in 24 hours. In an incubator and under a broody hen I've had the first egg hatch a couple of days early and the hatch drag on for three full days. The tendency is that if one hatches early the others will probably be early too but not always. You just can't tell.

One of my strangest in an incubator was an egg hatched two days early then nothing for 24 hours. No pips, no nothing. I was getting worried. Then the other 16 hatched in about 12 hours, most overnight. I went to bed with no pips and woke up to a bunch of chicks.

Congratulations on the chick and I'm sure wishing you luck on the remainder but no one can tell you for sure what will happen. As hard as it is try to be patient.