How long do I wait for chicks to hatch? 1 has already hatched…

[mg37]

Hi! Hen is hatching her own eggs, we’re on day 22. One hatched and it has been 12 hours. Should I continue to wait? Is it okay to check the other eggs? Seen a lot of mixed opinions…

 

[Sussex19]

Did you set them all at the same time, and know that no more eggs got added after you set them?(as in other hens adding to her nest)

 

[Ridgerunner]

You get so many different opinions because we do all sorts of different things. Personally I leave my broody hens alone and let them take care of business. Others interfere every chance they get.

I've had broody and incubator hatches that were over within 16 hours of the first one to hatch. I've had incubator and broody hatches that took close to 48 hours for the hatch to finish. This was with eggs that all started at the same time. I don't know your circumstances, whether she is hatching with the flock or you have her isolated. How many eggs? Things like that. I'd leave her alone for at least another day unless I saw something going wrong.

 

[igorsMistress]

I had a broody that hatched chicks over about 3 days and I’m certain no eggs were added. If they hadn’t hatched at that point I was going to kick her out. There was food and water available just in case.

 

[mg37]

I left her alone. She is in our home because it’s cold & she had 6 eggs. 3 ended up hatching, 1 egg never developed fully, & 2 are chirping and have cracked their eggs open, but she left the other eggs. It’s been about 2 days since the first chick hatched. Do I need to do something about the two that she left? Will they hatch okay with her gone? Do they need heat? She is in a huge wooden box in our basement that is roughly 5’x5’

 

[mg37]

Did you set them all at the same time, and know that no more eggs got added after you set them?(as in other hens adding to her nest)

All same time, update added in the comments

 

[Ridgerunner]

Do I need to do something about the two that she left? Will they hatch okay with her gone? Do they need heat?

Without an incubator, there is not a lot of hope for those eggs but that doesn't mean you don't try. It can work. You do not want to cook them so try to keep them warm in the range of 95-101 Fahrenheit (35-38 C). If you can, increase humidity, maybe keep them on a shoe box with wet paper towels.