hen sat on eggs, only 1 hatched

[janiedoe]

Hello everyone!
1st off, we have 4 white Chohen hens, 3 roosters of the same breed. All were born and raised by a hen and roo last spring here at our place.
The problem i have is 1 hen was sitting on 12 eggs, she sat well, 1 chick hatched 3 days ago. Mow she has stopped sitting on those eggs, and now i have 2 other hens sitting on other eggs!
The hen that 1st started sitting and successfully hatched the 1 chick is now NOT sitting on her eggs.
My question is.... are the eggs no longer any good to hatch? Could it be she knows yhat maybe they were not fertile or something?
Mike

Don't give up for a couple of more days at least. My langshan hatched one chick (an ameraucana) on the 20th day and a second (a marans) on the 22nd day. My hen wouldn't leave the nest until I took the unhatched eggs on the 27th day. The eggs were starting to smell by the time I took them. Her two chicks stayed close by.
If the other hens are willing to sit, let them sit for a few more days before discarding the eggs. I too let nature take its course. Next time I may candle just to prevent my own anxiety. My hen was looking a little drained by the time I took the eggs. She and the chicks are all very healthy now. Next time I will educate myself a little better before I let nature take its course. Lol. Hope you get a few more chicks.

 

[koopmaster]

Oh, I forgot to mention, but kinda self explanitory! These eggs where at least 28 days old when hatchling 1 came to the outdoors!
Oh my chickens are semi free range they are in my fenced in back yard, with 2 nigerian doe goats.

 

[koopmaster]

My new avitar is the mother hen, Hatchling1, and the hen who isn't sitting on a clutch of eggs!WWhy are the letters OP in the lower right corner of my avitar?
Im so glad we found this great forum! Thanks for all the helpful input.
Mike

 

[ChickenCanoe]

OP means you are the original poster. (started the thread)

If the eggs had been sat on for 28 days and a chick showed up. The 28 day eggs failed and the chick came from an egg that was volunteered after the first week.

You can set a calendar and clock by when an egg hatches under a hen.

 

[koopmaster]

OP means you are the original poster. (started the thread)

If the eggs had been sat on for 28 days and a chick showedp. The 28 day eggs failed and the chick came from an egg that was volunteered after the first week.

Thank you for the answer on OP!


You can set a calendar and clock by when an egg hatches under a hen.

So its 21 days from lay to hatch?
So the other eggs should be disposed of now??

 

[koopmaster]

Oh, and thank you for the answer on OP

 

[ChickenCanoe]

So its 21 days from lay to hatch?
So the other eggs should be disposed of now??

No, not from lay to hatch. It is 21 days exactly from when incubation started.
They can assemble a clutch for up to 10 days or so. Cell division and development doesn't begin until the internal egg temperature is maintained above 80.6F. That is the temperature referred to as physiological zero. Not until the egg exceeds 95F does the development become proportional.
If a hen goes in to lay an egg, internal egg temperature of the rest of the eggs in the nest doesn't reach the point of development. It isn't till she begins to sit 24/7 that the clock starts for the 21 day countdown. Just as with artificial incubation, once optimally stored eggs come up to temperature and stays there, if that happens at noon on a Monday, they'll hatch at noon on a Monday (discounting several variables)
Until a fertilized egg is continuously warmed to temperature, it is just an egg.

And yes, if she has religiously sat on the same eggs for 28 days, they are toast.
When incubating artificially, or naturally for that matter, I don't toss eggs till day 23 or 24 because there can be other variables. I'm very watchful on broody hatch day when she takes chicks out of the nest box. If she leaves eggs behind, I try to grab them and put them in the incubator because some may have been contributed later and I know she won't go back and sit tight once she forages with her new wards.

 

[koopmaster]

No, not from lay to hatch. It is 21 days exactly from when incubation started.
They can assemble a clutch for up to 10 days or so. Cell division and development doesn't begin until the egg internal temperature is maintained above 80.6F. That is the temperature referred to as physiological zero. Not until the egg exceeds 95F does the development become proportional.
If a hen goes in to lay an egg, internal egg temperature doesn't reach the point of development. It isn't till she begins to sit 24/7 that the clock starts for the 21 day countdown. Just as with artificial incubation, once optimally stored eggs come up to temperature and stays there, if that happens at noon on a Monday, they'll hatch at noon on a Monday (discounting several variables)
Until a fertilized egg is continuously warmed to temperature, it is just an egg.

And yes, if she has religiously sat on the same eggs for 28 days, they are toast.

Thanks for the chicken schoolin ChickenCanoe!!!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

 

[koopmaster]

Immediately after breaking out of its shell, do chicks just lay there and rest?
How soon do they get up and stsrt walking around
View attachment 1423145
View attachment 1423146
Yesterday it was pretty warm and sunny, i noticed all 3 hens that have been sharing sitting duties were out and about in the pasture.
So i peeked in on the nestSView attachment 1423146