Backyard Poultry Forum

Hi,
I have a silkie bantam who had 11eggs. 8 have now hatched on day 17. She still has 3 eggs. This is my first time with chickens and eggs. How long do i leave her on the remaining 3? I don't want to remove them yet as its been 17days, not 21 but i don't know if i they're fertile.
I hope this makes sense. Do i leave her a bit longer or remove? Is it too late to candle them to check?
Thanks in advance.

Have you been candling throughout the incubation? Provided eggs pass the sniff test, not obviously rotten, you can leave them in the nest until about day 24. After that, chances of a hatch is very low, provided all eggs were set at the same time and no other hen has possibly added to the clutch. Chances are the hen will leave the nest with existing chicks before then &/or kick out non-viable eggs. Up to you if you want to candle at this late stage, downside is to do might disturb your sitting hen. I'd be inclined to just wait and let events unfold. Good luck!

I have no idea how to candle or when to etc (first time) so i haven't yet. Mumma hen is fine with me checking her eggs etc so i could pull them out to check.
I was mainly worried she would sit there forever and not eat/drink. She's happy to eat food i offer while she's sitting. If she will eventually give up and kick the unhatched eggs out i will just leave her.
Thank you for your help

Ps all the eggs are hers. She laid one every second day and started sitting a bit on 13th May, laid another egg on 15th May and sat on them from that day.

Make sure that there is chick starter and shallow water within easy reach of the nest so that she can teach the chicks to eat and drink (they really don't need to for the first couple of days). She will either stay put, get up for short times and return to the eggs, kick them out or relocate with the chicks.
8 out of 11 is a good hatch, especially at this time of the year

Click on the link below - there is heaps of info. on candling. If not for this time, learn how to do it for next time.
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=7974870

Thank you. I just had a look. Two are mostly clear with a free moving yolk so i assume they're no good. The last is mostly black with an airsac. So i assume there's a chick in there, couldn't see any movement and no chirping, eta no pipping either.

If you were inclined you could try a float test with the last egg. Here is a short explanation from another thread


[You could try a float test to ensure that there is no possibility of any thing still having a chance.
Fill a bowl with comfortable hand (quite) warm water and put the eggs into this. Wait until they stop bobbing and watch for any sign of movement (jiggling). If you are unsure keep adding water to maintain warmth. If there is any sign of life the water will have raised the internal humidity (and the extra heat I think sometimes stimulates some action). Discard any thing which stays still or sinks.

I wouldn't do it for at least another 24 hours and make sure first that nothing has begun to pip]

Im a tad worried now as all have hatched (excluding two obviously bad eggs) but that one hasnt. Mumma seems happy sitting for now so ill check again on the morning before floating them

I floated the egg and it seems too jiggle but mumma has lost interest in sitting on it now (ive been shoving it Bach under her). Im unsure how to proceed!

She will probably stay put on it overnight but as soon as it gets light she will leave it.
Where abouts are you? Maybe some one close by has a broody or an incubator running. It is very hard to give up on something at this late stage but unfortunately that may have to happen.
Put it down to learning and next time make sure incubation starts at the same time for the whole clutch.

They were incubated at the same time. The three eggs that didn't hatch were 1, 2 and 4. She has been kicking the remaining egg out all afternoon.
Eta. I only have one laying hen so i know they're all hers and i numbered them as she laid.
Etaa. Im in rural fnq. But I'm thinking this egg is no good. If she kicks it out tomorrow ill remove it. My 8 lil chicks are doing well with mum. She has left the nest a few times to eat and drink.

Thanks for the help

Mumma was out of the nest with her babies this morning. Egg was cold. I took it out and cracked it. It was a dud egg, jiggling must have been in my head. Final count was 8 hatchlings out of 11eggs. They're ridiculously cute!

We are looking forward to some photos.

Ive been trying to upload with no success but ill give it another go

Ok i think it worked. Previous files were too large so had to put them through an editor.
Any ideas on what colour the yellows will be? Some are bright some are dark.
I have three roosters, a silver partridge pekin, a creole pekin and a white silkie. Mumma is a brown silkie.