How long does it take a hen to hatch eggs?

[sweetsugar2242]

I am asking this because I thought it was 21 days. I have to hens sitting and they have been sitting since at least June 13th and no chicks yet.

 

[sumi]

Chicken eggs normally take 21 days to hatch, whether you incubate them artificially (incubator) or set them under a hen. It doesn't make a difference, unless your incubator temperature is off. That being said, I have had early hatches and late hatches, both in incubators (at the correct temperature) and under broody hens. I once had an egg hatch on day 25 under a broody, but that is unusual. It is possible that the eggs under your hens may not have been fertile or something was wrong with them. Have you candled them at any stage to see if they are developing?

 

[sweetsugar2242]

No but one got broken and there was a tiny chick but was dead.

 

[Chicken Woman26]

im so sorry for you and your little dead chick.

 

[christianj04]

Can u candle them and see if anything is happening or put them to ur ear an hear for anything?
Hope they hatch soon

 

[sweetsugar2242]

Didn't hear or feel anything. I did candle 2 eggs and there is definitely chicks in them that looks very close to time.

 

[christianj04]

She might not of started incubating them until a few days later. Keep us updated. I hope they hatch for you's

 

[Rooster Rampage]

It should take 21 days/3 weeks.

 

[sunshinehs]

This may sound silly, but I'm new at this hatching thing, lol but my silkie is Brody forv3 days now, I'm thinking there is 3 eggs under her, if after the 21 days or the time needed to hatch and nothing happens, would it have to throw away those eggs.? And what if the other chickens continue to lay eggs in her box?

 

[AmericanMom]

This may sound silly, but I'm new at this hatching thing, lol but my silkie is Brody forv3 days now, I'm thinking there is 3 eggs under her, if after the 21 days or the time needed to hatch and nothing happens, would it have to throw away those eggs.? And what if the other chickens continue to lay eggs in her box?

There are never any silly questions, we were all newbies at one time

I would give it a few days longer than 21 days, maybe up to 23 and if there are still no chicks I would go out at night and slip your hand under her and remove an egg and candle it and see whats going on.
Other chickens laying in her box can cause a whole host of problems.. I have had so far this year 3 hens go broody, one I had to remove from the coop because she fought any hen trying to lay in her box resulting in broken eggs. If it were me, I would mark your silkies eggs and then check every evening and remove any newly laid eggs, I was able to do this successfully with my second broody because leaving them could result in a staggered hatch, A hen will leave any unhatched eggs after a few days of the first chicks hatching to care for those chicks. When I set a hen I give her all the eggs I want her to have at once, I draw a circle around the egg with a sharpie so I can always see the original eggs and remove any newly laid ones...
I moved the third broody 3 days ago into a little coop and run all by herself as she is lower on the pecking order and kept getting kicked off the nest she decided was hers ( I had fake eggs in there) for her own peace of mind, and mine she is in a dog crate, next to the coop where she can see and be seen but none of the hens can bother her..

I only have one hen that was able to brood in the coop, I removed new eggs from her every other day, Only one hen decided to help her out with new eggs so it wasn't that big of a deal to just remove it.