Will we need to provide supplemental heat for hen and chicks?

[NatJ]

I had originally checked the eggs she was sitting on back on September 17th and didn't see anything in any of the eggs. Couldn't see the veining or embryo dot, just yolk. So I was very surprised that the first ones hatched on Monday. The eggs looked empty 18 days earlier. I hatched a LOT of duck eggs last year so I know the embryo is hard to spot early on, but it seems something would have been visible if they were 10 days in the first time I candled. The last two big eggs look like they have at least 2 weeks left to go.

Chicken eggs usually take 21 days to hatch, although bantams sometimes hatch a little early.
So if some eggs hatched 18 days after you candled them, you must have candled them within the first 3 days--not surprising that you did not see anything then.

 

[KCNC06]

Chicken eggs usually take 21 days to hatch, although bantams sometimes hatch a little early.
So if some eggs hatched 18 days after you candled them, you must have candled them within the first 3 days--not surprising that you did not see anything then.

Right! Had my brain going too many directions yesterday. I've only hatched duck eggs in the incubator so apparently my brain automatically goes to duck time.

 

[Chicalina]

duck time, lol.

How are they all doing today?

 

[KCNC06]

The little one I had in a heating pad last night died last night. The other two are still out with the mom and seem to be doing ok. The bigger one from the standard hen egg seems more active. The little one from this hens egg still hides under the mom a lot.
I just candled the last two small eggs that we moved into the incubator. I guess I was hoping their development got slow when she had too many eggs and some had gotten pushed out behind her in the nest. I haven't seen any movement in them and they don't look any different than they did on Wednesday morning. So they're probably not alive right? She had two standard hen eggs in her nest too. Those seem plenty active, I can see movement very easily and they're getting bigger (the embryos not the eggs obviously).

 

[Chicalina]

oh that's a shame about the chick.
Let's hope the others thrive now.

What day are the eggs on that you think are dead? People here usually advise to hang on until day 25.

 

[KCNC06]

I'm not sure what day they're on. If the others hatched on time, Monday would have been day 21 I guess. So these are probably around day 25 or close to it.