Staggered hatch with two hens

[citychicks99]

Three weeks ago one of my hens stayed in the nest box all day. By the next day I figured she was broody. She got up and I counted four eggs. I think in a few more days I counted twelve. By the next week my other hen joined her and they've both been in the nest box since.

I moved them inside a dog crate because that would have been better for them to hatch chicks but I didn't want to disturb them or move the eggs.

Today, three chicks hatched and they started eating. I'm a little concerned about the other eggs that haven't yet hatched because eating = pooping which wouldn't be good for the unhatched eggs.

I'll see what they do tomorrow. If both hens leave the nest box should I try and move the eggs then? It seems like it's getting awfully crowded in there. Ideally, one hen takes the hatched chicks out and the other hen stays for the unhatched eggs but I don't know if they'll do that. Anyone have experience with two broody hens and a staggered hatch?

Edit to add that I saw one of the broody hens out today while the other one was still on the nest box. I thought they don't leave the nest 24 hours before the hatch? Does this mean one of them may stay longer? I'm just reading other threads now to separate them. If one of the hens takes the chicks out should I close the door on the dog crate and try and separate them that way?

 

[Gigachad poultry]

Three weeks ago one of my hens stayed in the nest box all day. By the next day I figured she was broody. She got up and I counted four eggs. I think in a few more days I counted twelve. By the next week my other hen joined her and they've both been in the nest box since.

I moved them inside a dog crate because that would have been better for them to hatch chicks but I didn't want to disturb them or move the eggs.

Today, three chicks hatched and they started eating. I'm a little concerned about the other eggs that haven't yet hatched because eating = pooping which wouldn't be good for the unhatched eggs.

I'll see what they do tomorrow. If both hens leave the nest box should I try and move the eggs then? It seems like it's getting awfully crowded in there. Ideally, one hen takes the hatched chicks out and the other hen stays for the unhatched eggs but I don't know if they'll do that. Anyone have experience with two broody hens and a staggered hatch?

Edit to add that I saw one of the broody hens out today while the other one was still on the nest box. I thought they don't leave the nest 24 hours before the hatch? Does this mean one of them may stay longer? I'm just reading other threads now to separate them. If one of the hens takes the chicks out should I close the door on the dog crate and try and separate them that way?

You should candle them and put a square on all the further developed eggs and a circle for the less developed eggs. Or check marks of different colors to then separate the broodiness and their eggs.

 

[citychicks99]

You should candle them and put a square on all the further developed eggs and a circle for the less developed eggs. Or check marks of different colors to then separate the broodiness and their eggs.

I don't really have candling experience so I wouldn't know what I'm doing. I did try it with the first set from a few months ago with eggs left on the nest that didn't hatch but they're cream legbar eggs and rumor has it they're very hard to candle. I also get worried about moving the eggs from under a broody.

Looks like I'll just have to move the first hen that started brooding with the hatched chicks into a separate pet crate and let the second hen continue hatching.

 

[Gigachad poultry]

I don't really have candling experience so I wouldn't know what I'm doing. I did try it with the first set from a few months ago with eggs left on the nest that didn't hatch but they're cream legbar eggs and rumor has it they're very hard to candle. I also get worried about moving the eggs from under a broody.

Looks like I'll just have to move the first hen that started brooding with the hatched chicks into a separate pet crate and let the second hen continue hatching.

That plan could work and I think it's a very good idea, but I also have a lot of experience with candling eggs.

I usually don't use a flashlight, but I instead use a headlamp on full flask in a dark place on the ground so I can't drop an egg. I then rool the egg slowly moving it and looking for movement and I then put it back in it's original position. I know where it originally was because of me making the eggs and knowing if the mark was in top or in the bottom.

This speckled egg was on day 13 or so of incubation when I candled it. I was looking for movement and veins the picture doesn't capture the veins well, but they were there and I saw the growing chick moving around.

 

[citychicks99]

That plan could work and I think it's a very good idea, but I also have a lot of experience with candling eggs.

I usually don't use a flashlight, but I instead use a headlamp on full flask in a dark place on the ground so I can't drop an egg. I then rool the egg slowly moving it and looking for movement and I then put it back in it's original position. I know where it originally was because of me making the eggs and knowing if the mark was in top or in the bottom.

This speckled egg was on day 13 or so of incubation when I candled it. I was looking for movement and veins the picture doesn't capture the veins well, but they were there and I saw the growing chick moving around.
View attachment 3560911

I do have a headlamp. That sounds like a much better method than what I've been reading so far!

 

[Gigachad poultry]

I do have a headlamp. That sounds like a much better method than what I've been reading so far!

Yes, a headlamp would work perfectly.