Lost count on how many days of incubation have passed

[chic_a_lay]

So I didn't catch my hen start setting this time. It's been about 2 weeks since I took note of it. I candled the eggs today and most appear solid inside and have a air sac. I would have liked to move her to a separate pen, but, I'm afraid it's too late and she might quit setting. How do I guesstimate how much longer I have till they hatch. And how do I know if it's been too long?

 

[carlf]

Why do you want to move her is the more important question?
Is she not safe from predators?
Otherwise why would you want to move her????

 

[chic_a_lay]

From previous experience the lay box is too high in the Coop and the babies can't get out and down to food and water. And, if they do the rooster kills them. I just wanted mama and babies confined in the smaller seperate cage away from the rest of the flock. I usually notice if they get broody and put the hen in the seperate cage with the first couple of eggs to finish laying and hatch her brood. Then I don't have to keep checking back to see if the snake ate the eggs or the hatched ones are stuck in the lay box or fell out on the floor. I just didn't catch it this time and I don't know how close they are to hatching so I can collect then and put them in the brooder. The eggs are heavy, solid and mostly dark inside with an obvious air sac.

 

[Pork Pie]

So I didn't catch my hen start setting this time. It's been about 2 weeks since I took note of it. I candled the eggs today and most appear solid inside and have a air sac. I would have liked to move her to a separate pen, but, I'm afraid it's too late and she might quit setting. How do I guesstimate how much longer I have till they hatch. And how do I know if it's been too long?

Maybe a pic would help ? It's a pity that your rooster is aggressive towards chicks. Is there a way to separate the rooster from the coop and bring momma and chicks down to ground level?

 

[chic_a_lay]

Well I suppose I could seperate the flock from her instead of her from them. That's the dilemma tho...if I move her now I'm afraid she will not return to setting on the nest and since I don't know exactly how much longer they have...I'm afraid to move her to the floor. I suppose I'll just have to make a visit to the Coop every couple of hours for the next week. I'm certain it's not more than 6 or 8 days away....maybe only as few as a couple of days.

 

[carlf]

Sounds like you need a new rooster. A good roo will protect chicks not attack them.

 

[Pork Pie]

Well I suppose I could seperate the flock from her instead of her from them. That's the dilemma tho...if I move her now I'm afraid she will not return to setting on the nest and since I don't know exactly how much longer they have...I'm afraid to move her to the floor. I suppose I'll just have to make a visit to the Coop every couple of hours for the next week. I'm certain it's not more than 6 or 8 days away....maybe only as few as a couple of days.

I was suggesting moving her and the chicks to floor level, i.e. after hatching. A day or so before hatching, you should be able to hear chirping sounds from the eggs, and possibly observe momma communicating with them - that might help you know when to expect hatching.

 

[carlf]

Agreed, leave her be until all the eggs hatch and then place her & the peeps in a floor level next box.
And if your rooster is truly aggressive towards the chicks, I am serious about not breeding him anymore and getting a new rooster. You don't want his genetics getting passed along.

 

[Jessie22]

I lost my guinea hen sometime early this morning. A darn predator got her. There was no feathers anywhere, what could of got her? I have heard a great horned owl but not near her nesting area. It looks like maybe something pulled her off the nest because one of her eggs was on top of the other eggs. Maybe the opossum came back, it was a big one. Who knows darn it. Her eggs were cold. I rushed the eggs to the incubator but before I put them in, I used a flashlight to look inside the eggs and half of the egg (long ways) was dark. She sat on them constantly for 9 days. Are these eggs any good and will they hatch? I am very new to this.

 

[Jessie22]

I know what got my guinea female. She went out early and was far from her nest, she crossed the road and a vehicle hit her. I found what was left in the middle of the road. Humans are terrible predators with there cars. The traffic is fast on the 2 lane highway. Cant understand why she was so far from her nest. Maybe something scared her and she kept on running right into the road and got hit.