Why are my eggs hatching so far apart?

[ReadyvilleBird]

So I have a bantam sitting on a clutch of about 20 eggs from all the chickens in the coop. Some of the eggs started hatching two weeks ago and I’m still having some hatch. I understand that the eggs were laid weeks apart but if the incubation started at the same time, what gives with the time between hatching. I have nine so far and hopefully more on the way

 

[BYCforlife]

The only way that it is possible for some eggs to be hatching that much later is if they were laid later in the incubation process. Good luck with the rest of the eggs!

 

[Helloworld]

You are seeing a hen sitting on her own eggs and someone is slipping some in when she goes to eat and drink?

I check nests daily. It may help to move her to a quiet area to see if she is having someone having her secretly surrogate and I have had hens that actually lay as they sit. Some mamas want many children, some what just enough! Hehe.

 

[Squishychicken]

You started all the eggs on the same day correct?

Is she separate from the other hens preventing there eggs from being layed daily under her causing them to hatch in diffrent days?

Like stated above unless the eggs started incubating weeks after each other then that's not possible if they were started in the same day.

 

[ReadyvilleBird]

That makes a lot of sense. One of my bigger hens was bullying her off her eggs and I figured she was just going broody and wanted to sit on the only clutch available. Thanks

 

[ReadyvilleBird]

The only way that it is possible for some eggs to be hatching that much later is if they were laid later in the incubation process. Good luck with the rest of the eggs!

That’s a great explanation. I don’t know how she does it though. The small cochin bantam that can’t even cover all the eggs and somehow managing to hatch all of them. Not one has rotten yet. We are 12 chicks and counting with probably 8 eggs left. She is an awesome bird!

 

[Jbently28]

I've had hens with staggered clutches before and it's definitely no fun. In my case, other hens were adding eggs and my broody was also stealing eggs from another brooder box. I learned very quickly to make sure that the other hens don't have access to the same box. She should stay sitting as long as you are pulling the chicks within 24 hours of them hatching. Good luck with the rest of your hatch!

 

[sourland]

That’s a great explanation. I don’t know how she does it though. The small cochin bantam that can’t even cover all the eggs and somehow managing to hatch all of them. Not one has rotten yet. We are 12 chicks and counting with probably 8 eggs left. She is an awesome bird!

Staggered hatches put an excessive burden on setting hens. They lose condition during the brooding process, and it is not impossible that they might die. She is an awesome bird and the brooding process should be terminated as soon as is possible.