What makes a chicken coop easy to live with?

[catherinej]

Hi all,

 

It's day 19 for my pekin eggs and they are so far showing no signs of hatching. I have been candeling them and 5 appear to be empty but 1 healthy. However, I have candled the "healthy one" today and can no longer see movement! The eggs are under a broody hen who is patiently waiting bless her but just wondering how long i should give the eggs to hatch and if they don't, would she accept day old chicks? I would also like to know which breeds can be sexed at one day old?

 

Many thanks

[Redwing]

My pekins normally hatch around day 21 so I'd leave them till day 23

 

Breeds that can be sexed at a day old are autosexing breeds - any breed ending in 'bar' normally - cream Legbar, Gold legbar, Barnebar etc.. or sex linked breeds (bred from a genetically gold parent and a genetically silver parent so the chicks hatch different colours)

 

These will all be a good bit bigger than your pekin though

 

If you can get day olds cheaply then maybe take what you can get as you will have had boys if yours had all hatched anyway

[bennett]

My pekins have hatched today on day 19 but i agree with rewing wait until day 23 in case they are over, this also gives you a few days to look around to enquire about day olds. Finger crossed for you

[catherinej]

Good news, was just moving Dot this morning for her to get food/drink and heard tweeting coming from the good egg! Am so happy and surprised as i thought it was dead! So much for my candeling technique. Don't think the others will hatch but you never know! So it is 21 days not 18 as I thought! Thanks everyone for your advice

[Jools]

Good news but don't give up on the others too soon as I've had LF hatching at 24 and 25 days before now (though I later discovered it was because the broody wasn't covering the eggs properly so they weren't being cooked at the right temperature!)