How long to give/when to candle an egg under a broody?

[Lillith37]

Hello,

My broody hen Yinny has been sitting on two buff sussex eggs. I don’t have a rooster so I got these eggs at 14-15 days incubated from my regular guy who only lives ten minutes away. They were candled at that time and both were kicking.

My other broody hen Lillith hatched Yinny and her brother Yanga under the same circumstances.

So one of Yinny’s chicks hatched at the latest yesterday morning (a little over 24hrs ago) but no sight nor sign of the other. I’m wondering how long I should give Yinny to continue sitting and whether I should candle the egg at some point?

I’m never sure because she’s obviously not eating, drinking or pooping while she’s sitting. I know the hatched chick will be okay for a while with the yolk inside. This is Yinny’s first time being a mother and she’s rotated around on the nest quite a bit keeping track of the one who has hatched.

Any thoughts or advice welcome

 

[ChickenCanoe]

So it was 10 minutes out of the incubator before going under the hen? That isn't a problem if she hunkered down right away.
This is my point of view on the topic. I've had countless broody hens in my time.
Normally a hen will leave the nest daily or every other day to defecate, eat, drink, dustbathe. If she is sitting tight and not leaving, she may very well be in that hen equivalent phase of lockdown. You don't want to disturb her then. She is trapping humidity around the eggs. Furthermore, candling will do nothing to help move the process along and could hinder. There isn't usually a problem with unviable eggs being left in a nest.

 

[BDutch]

If it takes too long for the second egg to hatch the broody will go off the nest to care for the hatched chick.
Candling is useless at this stage, but listening can give a clue. If you hear peeping there is a life chick inside.

Because it’s getting critical you might want to read an article how to help a chick to hatch. It’s not something I would normally recommend but sometimes it works. Give me a moment to look for it.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I don't think you have enough shell there to keep the embryo viable under a hen.
Is there any blood when you peel the membrane?

 

[BDutch]

Maybe you have to accept the chick was not strong enough to hatch. The mamma did leave the nest, she gave up trying.

If you want to persist in trying?… You can put it under the other hen and see what happens. If the chick hatches, is alive and kicking there are 2 options:

• Put the chick back under the new mamma in the night if it can walk around with the other chick. Look early morning at sunrise if the chick is accepted.
• Leave the chick with the new mama and throw the eggs of the second mamma away in s few days if you are sure the chick survives.

Things like this happen. And chances are the chick will never grow strong and healthy.

 

[Lillith37]

I made another thread but thought I would update here as well.

I ended up helping the chick hatch after most of the veins had gone and it was making thrusting motions with its head. The umbilical cord is still attached to chick and eggshell with a red vein going through it. The chick is lying sprawled on its stomach with eyes closed. Every so often tries to push itself up without success.

 

[Lillith37]

So it was 10 minutes out of the incubator before going under the hen? That isn't a problem if she hunkered down right away.
This is my point of view on the topic. I've had countless broody hens in my time.
Normally a hen will leave the nest daily or every other day to defecate, eat, drink, dustbathe. If she is sitting tight and not leaving, she may very well be in that hen equivalent phase of lockdown. You don't want to disturb her then. She is trapping humidity around the eggs. Furthermore, candling will do nothing to help move the process along and could hinder. There isn't usually a problem with unviable eggs being left in a nest.

Yes probably 15 minutes max. I collected the eggs in the evening and put them straight under her. She has sat an extra week for these eggs so I’m not sure how that influences her timing, but the one was hatched when I checked on her yesterday morning. When I got home this afternoon there was a big broody poop right outside the coop so I suspect she did actually get off today. I guess I’ll leave her be and she can decide what to do. The one that’s hatched is already very curious and she’s engaging a lot with it.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

True that.

 

[Lillith37]

If it takes too long for the second egg to hatch the broody will go off the nest to care for the hatched chick.
Candling is useless at this stage, but listening can give a clue. If you hear peeping there is a life chick inside.

Because it’s getting critical you might want to read an article how to help a chick to hatch. It’s not something I would normally recommend but sometimes it works. Give me a moment to look for it.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-assisted-hatching-for-all-poultry.72886/

Thanks for this. I read the article. I just went out and lifted up the egg that hasn’t hatched yet. I was very careful not to rotate or tilt it. I can’t hear any peeping but I could feel movement. There is no external pip.

Do you think I should attempt to candle to see if the chick has internally pipped and then make a safety hole as the article suggests?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

They are your eggs and your birds but if it were me and the hen is sitting tight I would wait. Keep in mind, if there has been an internal pip or pipping is imminent, she will need to constantly cover those eggs to keep humidity around them. That is a general caveat but I think you are having high ambient humidity currently.
Hopefully by morning, it will have hatched.