[blume]

hello there,
i bought fertilised bantam eggs over three weeks ago and there is still no sign of chicks. they were due to hatch around the 21 of may. what shall i do? my gorgeous bob the bantam is still sitting put. when should i remove the eggs? she had chicks before and was a perfct mum, so i assume she knows what she is doing?! would she sit on infertile eggs without end if i don't remove them? would it be advisable to buy some little chicks if i remove the eggs? oh, questions, questions, questions!!!
would be very happy about replies. ta


sorry, i have no idea how to reply on here... DOH!

i had a little look earlier and did what one of the forum members advised in a different discussion: tapped the egg very carefully. no reply from inside... i don't know how to candle eggs, could you please let me know how to do it? when i took bob off the eggs she was not happy and settled on them straight after. they do know if there is no life in the egg, don't they? i'm an absolute novice in the old chicken- hatching business, so any advise is happily taken! thanks for the replies so far! thanks for the offer to supply chicks, i live in essex, i don't know where you are.... 

[dixie]

She may not have 'sat' properly straight away, Think I would leave her a bit longer. We had 2 broody ducks, both hatched a week later than we expected, I assume because they didnt 'start' when we thought they did. Hope that makes sense!

[bamford6]

is there eney way you could get some chicks iff the eggs are no good . candle 1 or 2 iff you lived by me i would do it for you  supli some chicks

[blume]

AAAAAAH! just found the old reply tab! now we're talking!

[dixie]

I'm in essex too, where are you, I'm near Maldon!

[blume]

i live in bocking, just round the corner!
well... a bit further than just round the corner... 

[dixie]

Shame I've got no chicks if you  need them sorry, give her a bit longer they might still hatch!

[blume]

yeah, will do. i'lll wait to the weekend and see what happens. if they all fail to hatch i might buy some chicks for her. she came with two chicks last year and was just perfect with them. would be a shame otherwise! ta!

[Roxy]

Just be patient a little longer.  Some of my banties go over the time I think they are due to hatch.  For example, if you sat them late at night, then technically  thats not day 1, so allow an extra day for that   I had one last year who was a couple of days late hatching, and I honestly thought they were not going to hatch, but she still sat there looking determined......so I gave her the benefit of the doubt.  I never remove the eggs for at least three days after they were supposed to hatch.  And then when I throw them away I never look if there is anything inside - if there was that would upset me.  I prefer to think there was nothing!!!

Usually over the last day or two, you will see the hen clucking to herself, she can hear the chicks getting ready to hatch, and if you hold an egg to your ear, gently, you should hear cheeping, although not always, so don't worry if you can't.

Good luck, really hope there are chicks in there.  I assume the bantam has sat ok, and not been off the nest too long at any time?

[blume]

hello roxie, thank you. she has not budged for ages. she's sitting put and get's rather nervous when i go too close to her. she's a lovely little thing and i would be very upset for her if there were no chicks. i will leave it till the weekend and see what happens. hope you're right and there are at least some littl'ns coming out at some stage! thanks everyone, very much appreciated! ta!

[Roxy]

Even one chick would be good - a little reward for her sitting there all that time.  I always feel sad if nothing hatches after the hen has sat in that nest for three weeks.

Did you buy the eggs through the post, and if so, did you let them settle before sitting them?

[blume]

sorry, wrote your name wrong earlier. the eggs come from a garden- centre round the corner from mine. they were transported very carefully and had settled there i guess. i popped them under her in the evening and she stayed on them religiously (apart from the usual stretching leg and poo- routine). do you think i should get some little chicks for her should they all be duff? will she take them on? thanks roxy!

[Roxy]

Well, they were not damaged in the post then if you got them locally.  And daft question, but they were sold as hatching eggs ie.  they are definitely fertile?

Some hens will take to chicks fine, others don't.  But if your hen "thinks" her eggs are ready for hatching, she may well be ok with chicks suddenly appearing.  Best to pop them under her at night, when she settled.  But the problem is, what to do with them if she doesn't like them.  You really need a back up plan, as in a brooder and heat lamp, just in case, if you are going ahead and getting foster chicks for her. 

[blume]

hello roxy,
they were sold as fertilised eggs. have been up there recently and the sign has been changed to 'believed to be fertilised'  ... she's ok though, just checked on her and she has been enjoying the sun and a dust- bath with her mother. looks as if she gave up in the end. perhaps i'll just postpone the chick- idea till the next chicken is broody or get some chicks and keep them in a different coop. quite like the idea of quails as well... we'll see. thanks for your kind advice and interest! X

[Roxy]

Your hen must have assumed the eggs are not going to hatch.  I would remove the eggs from the nest and crack them open - stand back cos they will smell, and just see what is in them.  It sounds like that garden centre have had people come back and say their eggs have not hatched, hence the changed sign.  All the same, they will be selling eggs at a bigger price than eggs for eating .......and believing to be fertile is not enough for me I am afraid.

No one can guarantee any eggs to be one hundred per cent fertile, but at least some should be.