Smart Feeder - Light sensor values

[pieshop]

Hi there,

A few weeks ago 4 of my hens went broody at the same time. Idecided to get some "fertalised"eggs from a a couple of friends. I have waited over 21 days and still no sign!! Then I noticed today an empty broken egg shell in the pen.

I still haven't seen a glimps of any chicks and I just wondered how long it is likely to be until they emerge from the nest.

 

[Redwing]

Sometimes if eggs arent going to hatch the broody will eat them

 

They should hatch on day 21 (the day you put them under the broody is day 0) then emerge from under the broody within a couple of days. Sometimes they go as late as day 24 but rarely beyond that

 

The egg should be evenly broken all the way round near the blunt end, if it is unevenly broken or has a hole in the broody probably ate it

[pieshop]

Thanks for that,

The shell does look evenly broken, so lets see.

[pieshop]

Sorry, I should have asked, I've been told that the hen will know if there is live young in the egg. What do they do with the ones that haven't? Will they stay broody or will they eat them as you said?

[Redwing]

The hen should understand that the rest of the eggs wont hatch and abandon them (or eat them) then start to move about with their chicks.

 

There is a danger that they dont 'switch off' the broody mode and their live chicks starve while the hen refuses to leave the remaining eggs

 

I normally leave it a couple of days after the first egg hatches then remove any unhatched ones. I do have a candler though that allows me to see inside the egg for movement. You can check the eggs in a similar way with a torch, if you Google 'candling eggs' on You Tube there is bound to be a video

[pieshop]

Well I now have 5 new chicks!!!

There is 3 eggs left and i'm pretty sure they aren't going to hatch now. Thanks for the advice and help.