What does this mean?

[MesMama]

I have two broody's sitting on eggs on day 21 and I noticed them having their beaks open and their throats were moving like they were panting maybe? It was warm today but it's been warm other days too and I haven't seen the broody's move at all when I've been watching. And then they were raising up their bodies a little (not enough for me to get a peek underneath them though *pout*)
Anyone know if they were just cooling themselves off or maybe the chicks have hatched/are hatching? Shouldn't I hear chirps?

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I have two broody's sitting on eggs on day 21 and I noticed them having their beaks open and their throats were moving like they were panting maybe? It was warm today but it's been warm other days too and I haven't seen the broody's move at all when I've been watching. And then they were raising up their bodies a little (not enough for me to get a peek underneath them though *pout*)
Anyone know if they were just cooling themselves off or maybe the chicks have hatched/are hatching? Shouldn't I hear chirps?

Hens have an egg thermometer to kill for, i think that she is properly maintaining the temperature of her clutch.

leave her be until about day 22. Hens have zero math ability and if she hatches one egg early, she will gladly leave the other 12 chicks behind in the nest and squire the one lone chick around while its brothers and sisters chill and die.

 

[MesMama]

@chickengeorgeto what do I do if one hatches and there are other eggs that haven't hatched? I think she's only sitting on 2, so it's not a huge clutch, not as many to worry about hatching which is good since this is my first time hatching

 

[chickengeorgeto]

@chickengeorgeto what do I do if one hatches and there are other eggs that haven't hatched? I think she's only sitting on 2, so it's not a huge clutch, not as many to worry about hatching which is good since this is my first time hatching

A hen and her clutch should be good for 48 hours after the 21st day. So allow her to come off the nest in her own good time. But nature and life waits on no man or chicken for that matter.

I have seldom set a clutch smaller than 15 eggs. I do firmly believe that large clutches hatch more successful. The extra humidity of a dozen or so chicks drying off in a natal nest helps keep shrink wrapping to a minimum.

Furthermore all those peeping pips encourage the unhatched chicks to make a greater effort to pip, unzip, and hatch. The greater number of eggs in my opinion create a larger mass of warmth and helps minimize cooling of the eggs when the hen leaves her nest.

I am not saying not to set small clutches but instead try to rationalize setting a full clutch if at all possible.