How can I tell if there will be chicks hatching?

[filimon]

It is day 22 and I have yet to see my hens chicks, she is sitting on them and I lifted her to see if there were any hatched and its still just eggs! Will i have any hatch? is there a way to check?

 

[HEChicken]

I would just leave her alone. If she is still sitting on them, chances are good at least some are still viable. And if you lift her off the eggs right as one is trying to zip, you might cause it to shrink wrap and have difficulty hatching as a result. Good luck!

 

[filimon]

What is a shrink wrap?

 

[HEChicken]

It is where the inner membrane dries out and "shrinks" around the chick, making it difficult for them to move and continue zipping. When incubating, humidity is raised at the end, to help keep the membrane soft and supple. The mother hen keeps the chicks under her and doesn't get off the nest at this crucial time to achieve the same result.

 

[filimon]

Oh thank you for your help!

 

[mstricer]

Quote:
Last year when I was letting one of my girls hatch out eggs, I ran with them in my hands them chirping in the egg all the way back up to the house, due to the fact I went in the coop to find 3 hens fighting over the nest and thought they would get mashed all turned out ok and every one hatched (it was day 18) in the bator, lucky for me it turned out okay. I wanted those porcelain Duccle bad, got 2 a boy and a girl love Mr and Mrs Fancy Pants to death couldn't be cuter.