How long will chicken sit on unhached eggs?

[suzfleeg]

Can you see movement or veins?

How do you check for movement or veins? I thought you shouldn't candle close to the hatch date?

 

[suzfleeg]

If you had them under her a few days after other egg then it will be a few days later they hatch, have food and water beside hen so she can feed and drink without getting off nest and show the already hatched chick food.. Mine were 3 days apart and she just continued to sit while feeding the chick and waiting for the rest to hatch. .. Your hen could decide to get off the nest to care for chick but if you have food and water beside her she should stay till others hatch like mine did. If you have access to an incubator then you could have it on standby if she does leave the nest, but better off mumma hen to do the job. Good luck! let us know how you go and please post adorable chick pics!

Oh that's a good idea! I will make sure to put food and water next to her today. Thanks!

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

I agree they need candled.

Other than that it depends on the hen. Some will sit forever.

If all eggs were infertile then I guess they could sit forever waiting for hatch day, but if 1 chick has already hatched then wouldn't it be likely the hen get off the nest to care for chick? That's what has happened in my experience so I place food and water beside her so she will stay till others hatch and if others don't hatch and she leaves the nest I double check if chick inside and there never has been one egg that a hen has left with a chick in it.

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

Oh that's a good idea! I will make sure to put food and water next to her today. Thanks!

Pic of my hen caring for 2 chicks (1 hatched day earlier) waiting for other 5 to hatch. She stayed on to hatch them all. .. Just make sure you don't block her in so she can get off nest to poo if she wants too. Or she may try to poo and end up in the nest, clean up promptly.

 

[suzfleeg]

Pic of my hen caring for 2 chicks (1 hatched day earlier) waiting for other 5 to hatch. She stayed on to hatch them all. .. Just make sure you don't block her in so she can get off nest to poo if she wants too. Or she may try to poo and end up in the nest, clean up promptly.
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So cute!