Hi my hen layed her first egg may 22nd ahnd should hatch on June 9 is this right i heard its 18 days after they are laid. I have also notice the first and second are getting a bit darker. So my question is that how long after the egg is layed that the egg will hatch?

Edited June 6, 200619 yr by daz

It is 18 days from the start of incubation. The incubation starts on the second or third egg. I would be counting from the third egg at the worst case. I'd expect the first egg to hatch on or about the 11th June.

some hens will start to incubate straight away so if you take from 18 days to 22 days to be sure for the first egg