I have at least one chick! How long to leave hen sitting now?

[soloequestrian]

I have 11 eggs under a broody and I had a gentle investigate today (day 22) and found one chick. I backed off then - hoping there are more - but how long should I leave her before checking the other eggs/removing any that aren't doing anything? I could see at least two that haven't hatched although only glanced quickly so there is a chance they're in the process....

 

[Chookchicken]

Hens aren’t the same as incubators you can check under her much more often. You can candle them whenever (since this is a hen rather then an incubator), I would leave them until day 25 before I candle them, that means there is as little disturbance to them hatching. But overall with hens you can candle them whenever, and check under her whenever.

 

[bhawk-23]

Hens aren’t the same as incubators you can check under her much more often. You can candle them whenever (since this is a hen rather then an incubator), I would leave them until day 25 before I candle them, that means there is as little disturbance to them hatching. But overall with hens you can candle them whenever, and check under her whenever.

I checked under (and candled 3 eggs) my broody on day 18 and ones that seemed viable never hatched. I thought it was my fault for handling them. Would she have known to turn them the right way again? I was too scared to open the eggs once she finally left the nest. None had pipped(?) so I was not sure if it was because I disturbed them. Six out of ten eggs hatched. Two I had strong suspicions were not going to anyways.
Thank you!

 

[Chookchicken]

I checked under (and candled 3 eggs) my broody on day 18 and ones that seemed viable never hatched. I thought it was my fault for handling them. Would she have known to turn them the right way again? I was too scared to open the eggs once she finally left the nest. None had pipped(?) so I was not sure if it was because I disturbed them. Six out of ten eggs hatched. Two I had strong suspicions were not going to anyways.
Thank you!

She would’ve known to turn them the right way. Everything you did was fine, and would’ve caused very little (if any) harm to the eggs. If you candle the eggs does it look like they have internally piped? 6/10 isn’t bad.

 

[Ridgerunner]

but how long should I leave her before checking the other eggs/removing any that aren't doing anything?

When the hen decides it is time she will bring her chicks off the nest. Until then I leave her alone. The more I interfere the more harm I do.

I've had broody hens bring their chicks off the nest within 24 hours of the first one hatching. I've had broody hens wait until about 72 hours after the first one hatches to bring them off of the nest. Before they hatch a baby chick absorbs the yolk. It can live for over 72 hours off of that yolk before it has to eat and drink. I figure a broody hen knows a lot more about what is going in under her than I ever will so I leave them alone and let them decide what to do.

After she leaves the nest clean it and do what you need to do with any eggs left over. Until she leaves the nest with her chicks she is taking care of her eggs.

 

[Killyhawker]

I have a 7 month old pullet go broody—my “crazy crosses” gray Yokohama/Cochin frizzle mix—on May 24 she started sitting on 7 random eggs(2 of her own). Today one hatched!!! It’s from my Barbu d’Ucclé hen & Silkie rooster.

I have checked her daily—as in: taking her out of the nesting box to give her water from my hand, then I know she is drinking at least a little bit; I put a small feeder cup in there & hand fed her some and bring her a handful of picked grass. Otherwise I leave her alone. She goes right back.
When I found the chick under her tonight, I took her out to drink and eat and brought baby out with her. Watched her/it copy mama peck at food and sip water. I put baby back in the box and scoot right back under mama and other eggs—we’ll see!!!

they are blocked off away from the other chickens so they don’t kill the bebe’s.

 

[yakitori]

I'm not entirely sure that handling has a profound negative effect on broody eggs. I just finished my first hatch ever with my broody and 6 local eggs (all 6 hatched!). I candled at least one every day, sometimes twice a day. One egg I handled almost all the way up until hatch because I was curious about why it was different. Ironically the one egg I handled least hatched a runt... so go figure.

And also because momma was brooding indoors, I took her off the nest twice a day to do her business, all the way up until beginning of day 19. Then after all her chickies hatched, I brought her and her babies outside to forage and pick up some bugs (immune system wise). It's day 23 and even though there's no more eggs, she's still inclined to sit, but I'm guessing that she'll stop when the littlies become more active.