My Chicken is sitting on duck eggs...and they're hatching!

[blankchicken]

So one of my chickens turned broody and decided to sit on our ducks fertilized eggs. She had 4. I didn't really think they would make it, but was going to let her try. I've been candling them and all 4 had babies growing and at the same stage. I went out yesterday to candle them and it looks like they are hatching! One of them had a little hole in the end and the other seemed to have a lot of the shell almost 'crushed' in but it is still covered by a white membrane. The other two have no holes but now have cracks on them, one especially close to being an actual hole. The eggs move every once in a while, and on the one with the white membrane I can see something moving inside. My chicken is still sitting on them, so I can't see the eggs unless she gets off (for food). What do I do???? I honestly didn't think any would survive and now all 4 are! Do I help? Do I do anything? Or will my chicken know what to do?

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

No you don't need to do anything mum will know what to do. The best thing is to let nature take its course. Before they make an actual pip hole they do usually just make a crack In the shell just to let more oxygen in. Wishing you the very best of luck

 

[blankchicken]

I'm almost as anxious as if it was my own eggs! haha
How long should it take? I noticed it yesterday at about 4. So it's been a while, but doesn't seem like much has happened.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

I'm the same when I have the incubator on. LOL. From pip to actual hatch can take 24 hours plus. Patience really is virtue when it comes to egg hatching. Jumping in too soon help generally causes more harm than good. They have a lot to do when in the egg preparing for hatching. And with all that work they are doing they also need to rest quite a lot too

 

[blankchicken]

So one of the babies died. Didn't even make it out of the shell. All the other eggs are still eggs. I don't know what happened? I took a picture of it.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Sorry to hear about the duckling not hatching. Not sure why it didn't hatch but the pic you posted looks a little bloody which would generally mean it wasn't ready to hatch. Have you got ant other action happening with the other eggs?

 

[blankchicken]

The other eggs are just eggs still. One has a tiny hole poked in the bottom. It was moving every once in a while, but have t checked again. I thought it was strange how the others weren't as far as that one...guess it was too early and it's good they weren't the same. I was going to check again later.

 

[blankchicken]

The egg with the little hole looks like this

And I can see it moving inside

The other egg has cracks in it

Also can feel movement

The third has little cracks all over but no openings.

 

[PD-Riverman]

The egg with the little hole looks like this

And I can see it moving inside

The other egg has cracks in it

Also can feel movement

The third has little cracks all over but no openings.

Did the Hen Leave the nest so you could take these pictures? If so she is not a good Mom. If you pulled them out to take the pictures-----This is Not good----Just Lifting/tilting a Broody hen in her Last 3 days Can affect her hatch----causes the moisture needed for the hatch to escape under her. Good Luck!!

 

[blankchicken]

They were from earlier when I fed her. She got off just long enough for me to take them and then was pecking at me to get back in.