21 days and no sign of eggs hatching!!

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Hello
My daughter and i are relatively new to chicken keeping (about 2 months) When 1 of our hens went broody. After spking to a local poultry breeder he suggested getting some fertilised eggs to put under her, we took 6. Tallulah has done a marvellous job sitting on them for 21 days (along with another 4 days of being broody before we got the eggs). It is day 21 now, we checked the eggs a couple of nights ago (with a torch) and saw 2 eggs that definately contained chicks. My daughter is getting impatient now as its day 21 and no sign. Is it normal to go over 21 days??

Any help/advice would be gratefully received.

We have left her to get on with it as nature intended :-)

Thanks Penny

White Sussex-Tallulah (broody), Maran-Phoebe, Rhode island Red-Bob (don't ask! My son named her!!)
 
I haven't hatched under a broody but all my incubator hatches have been different. The first lot were around 21 days but subsequent hatches have been later. My last hatch had me really worried as nothing started pipping until the end of day 22. They finished hatching on day 24.

I know how you must be feeling - I was a nervous wreck the first time and needed loads of reassurance :?
 
Thanks for that - i AM a nervous wreck! I've just separated the other 2 hens from Tallulah, so she can have some peace tonight without them on perch above her head!lol (we have a combined coop and run that she now has to herself)...i don't know if this will make her calmer or make her more anxious!? I've also just put into the coop a small plate of chick crumb and a baby chick water bowl.(just incase!)

I'm worried because there's a ramp coming down from coop into run ...will the chicks fall down it!? I do have another ground level coop that i have put phoebe and bob into tonight. Which i will put broody and chicks in once hatched. I would have preferred for Tallulah to be in there now, but didn't want to risk moving eggs etc .....oh the worry! I don't think i could go through all this again if they don't hatch ...i'm a born worrier at the best of times. Next time i will buy day old chicks. But had to give this a go, and give Tallulah a chance, bless her. (and its great for the kids to see the whole process - i don't know who's more excited!!)
 
Chicks will fall down a ramp given a chance or get stuck any where they can! If there is a ramp they will also need to get back in easily while still weak and wobbly and not yet having learned about ramps.Ros
 
Thats what i'm worried about. But do i risk moving eggs and tallulah now into ground level coop? ...or wait til just hatched then move them straight away? ........help!? (day 22 now)
Bearing in mind i am checking on her every hour or so.
 
I'd wait and move her once they have hatched at this late a stage. They could be pipping or almost ready and moving the eggs then isn't advised as the hen iirc stops turning them at this point, so taking her off them and putting them someplace new may cause her to turn them again.

She needs to be on the ground level with her bed box and run while the chicks are small.

Also if leaving her in the nest box I'd remove the chick crumb and water until 24 hours after the chicks have hatched. They don't need anything those first 24 hours and will stay under the hen drying off.

Ensure if you pick her up after the chicks have hatched to take great care as the chicks will be buried up into her feathering and possibly under her wing or in her chest feathering and you can damage them if you don't realise they are there. I usually lift the wings up by the tips to ensure chicks are not wedged in and if they are give them a chance to move. Then gently lift the hen feeling carefully with your fingertips before applying any real lifting pressure.

Have a listen and see if you can hear them pipping yet. She'll also be quietly chirping to them to help encourage them out of their shells.

If nothing has happened in a couple more days I'd candle again and see if there is anything viable or moving in those eggs. It may be they have died in their shell for some reason so won't hatch.
 
Thanks for the advice snifter!

I have now closed the hatch into the coop and opened the side door, blocking off the lower part and putting chicken wire on the top part, so that the chicks can't fall down ramp ...and so that the other 2 don't disturb her. Should i leave the water & chick crumb in for Tallulah (broody) now? as she has no means of getting out at the moment.

I had no idea they could go over 21 days, we were all ready and waiting yesterday!lol ......we're a little dis-heartened now to say the least. :cry:

I've just checked the eggs again, no sign of pipping yet. Tallulah is happily chirping away, apart from when i look at the odd egg under her ...then she gets a bit grumpy!lol

Thanks
Penny
 
AN UPDATE:

We've just been to check on eggs and theres a crack in 1 and a small hole!! ...we can see the little yellow chick inside and hear it chirping!!!
Tempted to have the day off work so that we can keep an eye on it! ......so excited!! (never thought this day would come, i've been paranoid that there was something wrong!)

Do we just leave her alone to get on with it now?


Penny
 
How exciting! Yes, however tempting it is to keep checking it's best to leave her well alone as you don't want to disturb her as she may leave the chicks.
Good luck and keep us all posted wth how many she gets after her long wait!
Nicky
 
Yes, leave her well alone. If you are lifting her off or trying to see the eggs, I'd stop doing that.

If they are pipping you'll be able to hear them without lifting the hen or touching the eggs. I can hear chicks pipping in shells from under a hen, I just lean in and listen carefully for a bit.

Good luck

I'd go to work as tbh, you won't see anything at all as the chicks will stay under mum for a while. Remove the water and chick crumb even from mum as she won't go anywhere at all while they are hatching. And chicks don't need anything the first 24 hours while drying out under mum.

When you do put it down, make sure its in flat dishes as any deeper and chicks can drown. I find jam jar lids brilliant, even if you do have to keep changing the water. Or buy a safe water drinker where they can't get into it.
 
Will do! Thanks for all the advice, i'm glad i found this forum ....just in time too!


Am reluctantly dragging myself off to work now! ...and daughter is even more reluctantly being dragged to school!haha!
Have got a chick waterbowl and used a jamjar lid for chick crumb.

Its going to be a long, long day in work! :(
Will post some pics of chick/s tomorrow, but we'll be happy with just the one if thats the outcome! :D
For our first attempt its been the most nerve racking experience ever!

Thanks
Penny
 
Well theres a pair of feet under mums wing ...so thats 1 !! :D

Its day 23 now, how long should we leave the other eggs under her? ...should i candle the others tonight and take out any that are definately empty?? Or just leave them for a day or two?

Thanks for all the help/support!!!! :D
 
Hi, if she has one- the others- (if fertile) should be at least pipping or you should be able to hear them cheeping in the egg- i would leave them another day, then have a look and candle the rest- as long as she has access to chick crumbs and water she wil be fine- she will come off when ready :)
regards, David :)
 
Will do!

The eggs she's sitting on are all different breeds, does this make a difference to the 21 day rule? Or is it once one starts, they should all follow?


Thanks
Penny


3 hens (tallulah-white sussex, Phoebe-Maran, Bob(!?!)female-Rhode island red ....and baby chick! :D )
 
Just been to check on Tallulah (and baby nemo!) ...and we have another egg pipping!! So hopefully will have a little playmate for nemo by this afternoon!! :D
 
If one is pipping then I'd be sure to leave her alone and not pick her up or try to see or touch the eggs under her.

Listening usually tells you enough as when they pip they can make a lot of noise.
 
We now have 2 little chicks!! Nemo's very active trying to bite Tallulahs toes!(hilarious!!And it keeps biting those red flappy bits under her chin too!! :lol: )He/she is copying mum eating and drinking well! ...the little green chick (Dory) born today is just trying to keep shuffling under mum to keep warm.
No signs of pipping in other eggs (had a glance whilst Tallulah was drinking for Britain!!), will leave them in a few days seeing as Tallulah is quite happy to keep sitting on them! (day 24 today)

I know i said i couldn't go through all this again, but after seeing these beautiful chicks .....i can't wait for one of the others to go broody and try another couple!! :D ...seeing as we'd bought another new coop expecting 6 !! ...and i think i'd be a lot more relaxed about it next time!
 
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