How many days does hatching span over?

[chandraegg]

I have a hen that is sitting on 13 eggs. Today is day 21. Two hatched yesterday, and two today, although one of those appears to have been smothered to death. One more egg has pipped today. How long do you hold out for the others?

 

[PunkinPeep]

I wouldn't normally wait past day 24.

I've heard of folks waiting as long as day 28.

 

[elmo]

Your hen will probably make that decision. She'll leave the nest with her already hatched chicks to lead them to food and water, leaving the other eggs behind.

Did all these eggs start to incubate at the same time, or did other hens add eggs to this broody's clutch?

 

[Kedreeva]

I usually wait until Day 24 or 25, just to be sure. I haven't opened an egg with a live chick by that day yet.

 

[chandraegg]

Thanks guys. I set them all on the same day from hatching eggs I ordered in the mail. That is why I was a little surprised that the hatching seems to be spanned out over a longer period of time.

 

[Kedreeva]

The span of the hatch is, at least for me, usually over a few days for chickens and has been up to a week with ducks, with some hatching 3 days early and some hatching 3 days late and everywhere in between!

 

[BigDaddy'sGurl]

I am glad you asked this because I have one single egg left in my incubator and all the others have hatched or were duds. This one is dark so candling isn't clear, so dark I can't tell for sure if there is movement, so I am loathe to remove it yet but its siblings hatched between yesterday and this morning. It is only day 21 but I am ready to empty the incubator! Guess I will, like you, give it a bit more time...the wait is excruciating!!!