How long can a hen leave eggs

[WIchickMama]

I agree with you, though I would say that 4 looks okay to me, good veins, perhaps just slightly behind

I am sure you have better eyes than me and more experience...but agree it is likely behind.

Overall looks like some viable eggs, just a pretty staggered hatch

 

[WIchickMama]

Could you mean 6 or 7 look empty? Not sure which one you think is a late addition. I can imagine one is late. She got kicked out often and I might have mixed it up. Maybe you mean #10? Pictures might be good but you might need to watch video again.

Post #22 gives you my guesses, I went back and looked at the video and your pictures again

 

[Cryss]

I’m going to try again on Thursday. That should be day 18! I can see that I could have mixed up a 2 day late egg but how the heck did I get any that are 7-9 days behind! I put her eggs in a private coop on day 4. I don’t have an incubator to finish any that are behind.

 

[Cryss]

Yes 6 looks clear as the others said. 9 & 10 are hard to see with the shell color but I would definitely leave them in. A few are at different development days, so expect a staggered hatch. Do you have an incubator available in case momma hen abandons any eggs that are close to hatching but much later than the early chicks?

No I don’t have an incubator. It’s not something I can afford right now. I am flummoxed as to how this happened. 1 day, 2 days, ok. I was afraid of that and it’s one reason why I moved eggs on day 4. But 7days? 9 days? Flummoxed! It’s upsetting knowing these probably won’t make it.

 

[junior67]

Are you saying that the one that you said that earlier than day 18 is that one going to hatch first? Or is that going to hatch later than 2, 3, and four?

I think it will hatch later. At day 18 the chick should fill just about the whole egg.

 

[junior67]

Well today was possibly day 21 but no sign of chicks. Mama is sitting pretty and growling at me. I’m thinking there will be an arrival during the night.
I had settled on a plan to go first thing in the morning to pick up a brooding lamp. I have my tote and I’d cover it with hardware cloth. Or netting. I have both on hand. I had figured that by the time I get back and finish the set up a chick or two could be hatched and hopefully dried off. I can steal them for a couple of days till the rest are hatched, then sneak them back under mom in the dead of night.
Yeah. Right. Ever hear the saying “When it rains it pours”?
Yes. Actual rain. It is going to begin to rain here at 2am. It is going to rain all day long tomorrow. You say “ so what”?
Well…when the first drop hits the ground here on my mountain the power goes out. It’s crazy! If I move babies and power goes out mama has the best chance of keeping babies warm. There might be a slim chance Rosie will sit out the rest of the latecomer incubation but I might be losing them.
At this point I’m giving this to God. He’ll let Rosie know what to do. And if in the end I can borrow an incubator (and power is on), well that would be a miracle anyway.

The mom will sit for a couple of days after the first chick hatches

 

[Cryss]

Can I bump? Hopefully someone will see something I don’t in my video?

 

[Jenny421]

UPDATE WITH VIDEO

OK, it is either day 6 or day 9 depending on when I start the count because she got separated from the eggs for about three quarters of day 2-3. The eggs aren’t white so the candling isn’t very good. Any opinions?

So interesting!! Thanks for posting this.

 

[Cryss]

Bump?

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

Give her a few more days...