staggered broody hatch or dud eggs?

[Chicalina]

Hi, I'm looking for advice. I've got a broody Silkie sitting on 6 eggs. All were set at the same time except 1 which she may have brooded for half a day extra before I put them all under her together. Anyway, one hatched two days ago, another hatched yesterday after pipping the day before. There are 4 eggs left. She is still sitting. I've shown the 2 chicks the food and water and they are eating and drinking inbetween snuggling under her, though are peeping a lot.

I've tried to candle the remaining eggs and all have nice big air sacs but i can't see any internal pipping going on. Today is day 21. They are all bantams of one type or another (and half Silkie). It has been hot here this week. I'm not sure whether to take the 4 eggs and put them under a heat lamp to hatch and leave mum with the chicks, or take the chicks to a brooder and leave mum with the eggs. Or just leave her to it, but worried she will abandon the eggs in favour of the 1 and 2 day old chicks. Any advice?

 

[nchls school]

Unless you are very experienced with candling eggs, some DIS eggs look alive. Posting a picture of the eggs being candled from the side will allow us to ascertain that the eggs are still viable. Should you do this try to eliminate reflected light from the shell in the photos as it may make it difficult to judge viability.

 

[Chicalina]

I will try and get some candling pics tonight when it is dark. What is DIS?

 

[Chicalina]

there is no peeping yet from any of the remaining eggs. It was hot and humid yesterday and I'm thinking that might have done them in.

I think I also did something stupid. on day 18 I sprinkled a few drops of water around the nest to increase the humidity for hatching as it was a dry day. The mum moved the eggs away from the damp bit. I should have trusted her to handle the humidity.

And on day 20, when there were already 2 chicks, I lifted her off as normal to go poop and drink and eat and she didnt want to leave the nest at all. I've had to do this every day because the nest box is 2 feet off the ground and I give her 15 to 20 mins a day before putting her back. I didnt realise I should stop this for hatching. It was so hot she needed to drink. She was only off the nest 5 mins and I put her back as she was upset. Did I mess up the humidity there too?

 

[nchls school]

Nothing you did harmed the eggs. A few drops of water and removing the hen for a break would have caused no harm unless the eggs were externally pipped; and even then it is doubtful that harm would be caused. My broodys get off the nest when the eggs are externally pipped, especially when the weather is hot and humid. The eggs hatch.

 

[nchls school]

Two days ago it was very hot and humid here. My turkey eggs were hatching that day. The turkey hen STOOD over her eggs while they hatched and all 11 did hatch.

 

[Chicalina]

thank you! I was kicking myself and over thinking everything.

I am tempted to start a pip or even open one of the 4 to see if it is alive and how ready it is, and then leave or help the others depending on what I find. Although it is day 21 now, since 2 hatched already and so long ago, I'm thinking it is the equivalent of day 23 for these eggs?

Or should I Ieave mum to it, or take them to hatch under a heat lamp, or borrow the babies for a day and then give them back if the other eggs do hatch?

I dont know how long I should be patient for. No peeping is worrying isn't it.

 

[Chicalina]

omg I have just recalculated the days. Eggs went under broody hen on 12 July (1 she had sat on for half a day on 11 July but I removed it and put it with the clutch to set on 12 July). That makes today 1 August, day 20 doesn't it? So the 2 chicks hatched on day 18 and 19.

So I shouldn't intervene at all yet? Why would 2 hatch and the others be so far behind?

 

[nchls school]

omg I have just recalculated the days. Eggs went under broody hen on 12 July (1 she had sat on for half a day on 11 July but I removed it and put it with the clutch to set on 12 July). That makes today 1 August, day 20 doesn't it? So the 2 chicks hatched on day 18 and 19.

So I shouldn't intervene at all yet? Why would 2 hatch and the others be so far behind?

DIS-dead in the shell.

If the eggs are from different hens the hatch time may be slightly different. This is especially true for different breed eggs where a difference of one or two days is not that uncommon. With a broody hen sometimes eggs get pushed aside so they are not properly cared for. This can cause DIS or late hatching.

 

[RainbowHen]

I would give them another couple days