Peep! Peep!

[AnnieSantiago]

So my hen is sitting on 11 fertile eggs.
Today is Day 19.

I went out to mist her eggs (A friend from Wales told me to do this the last 3 days) and I picked each up and listened.
And one is peeping!!!

Are they going to hatch early???

 

[GitaBooks]

I think chicks start hatching on day twenty or so, as it takes nearly 24 hours to get out of the egg. Some breeds of bantams also hatch a day early when compared to standard breeds (day 19).

Congrats on the chicks!

 

[Teila]

Hey there AnnieSantiago

Ooh, how exciting for you!

I always know when the eggs start peeping because mumma hen starts chatting back to them and I believe you can actually see her getting excited, less in the broody zone out mode and more into expectant mode; lots of fidgeting and talking.

Anyways, I have had eggs hatch on Day 19, 20, 21 and 22 in previous hatches.

Yours may still hatch on Day 21 because if you cannot see an external pip and only hear the peeping, as GitaBooks has mentioned, it can take up to 24 hours to bust out of the egg. They usually take a bit of a rest after pipping internally and externally before attempting the final bust out.

This is the first time I have heard of ‘misting’ the eggs under a broody and I am intrigued. Did your friend mention why?

 

[GitaBooks]

Duck and goose eggs are sprayed to keep them moist, as the mother would naturally get off the nest in the wild and take a dip once a day and then sit down on them with wet feathers. I've heard of a few people doing it for chickens, though I've never done it myself. Of course, I've lost lots of chicks to dying with-in the shell so maybe I should try it!

 

[AnnieSantiago]

She just said they have a better survival rate and since it's been so hot, the humidity would make it easier for the chicks to get out of the egg.

I'm so EXCITED!

By the way, I'm not going to separate them from the other 2 hens completely.
I'll leave the single hens in the yard (separated) by day and coop them in the henhouse by night, but there will be a bit of crossover time.
I am going to expect this mama to be fierce and defend the chicks.

::keeping my fingers crossed for more hens than roos!:::

 

[Teila]

Hey GitaBooks thank you!

I definitely learn something every day

As I mentioned I had not heard of it and I totally understand the reasoning with ducks and geese.

I wonder though, would the ‘misting’ of chicken eggs, which would not under usual circumstances have a damp mother hopping onto them once a day, be a risk of bacteria or mould or similar?

Note: Anything I say or ask is never out of criticism but more out of curiosity and a want to learn as much as I can.

AnnieSantiago thank you also.

I have lost chicks and had eggs that did not develop but I have never had an issue with chicks getting out of the egg; no quitters or losses in a pipped egg. But, I live in Aus in a sub tropical zone, so heat is a norm and so is humidity.

I can see the reasoning in a dry heat climate and if it is a dry heat climate, probably no risk of the bacteria and mould I mentioned.

Interesting! Thank you both!

Anyways, I am excited for you Annie and have my fingers crossed also that your boy/girl ratio is a good one … please let us know how you go and please share some pics if you can.

 

[GitaBooks]

Teila, don't worry, I love talking about animals and asking questions and answering questions. I think I enjoy talking about animals too much sometimes (at least my family thinks so)

. I'm hoping to get a degree in zoology, I especially love studying animal behavior.

Chickens naturally came from the jungle, so it would be much more humid then a lot of places chickens are raised now. Misting them I think just helps simulate the jungle. Some people suggest putting damp dirt under the hay in the nest also.

 

[AnnieSantiago]

Oh! I just checked again and another one is hatching! (A Copper Marans Egg) This one has a BIG hole in the shell, about the size of a dime. But I'm scared because I see some blood. And I hope when the mom got back on she didn't smother it.

The other egg that was peeping (Americauna) has a crack in the shell now.

Oh my gosh, this is nerve wracking!

 

[AnnieSantiago]

OMG OMG OMG! I'm gonna be a mom again!
Oh please live little chickies!

 

[GitaBooks]

How exciting! I'd love to see some pictures after they hatch.

A little blood I think is normal during a hatch. Just make sure the mother doesn't peck at it.

Congrats on the babies!