Day 21 :)

[ravensravelry]

Okay, so my broody silkie has officially been laying on her clutch for 21 days! I haven't been candling the eggs to see if they're developing because it's her first time going broody and I didn't want to disturb her and cause her to move, I also don't know how many she's sitting on. It may be a staggered hatch, but I really don't know yet. I'm just so excited that she's made it this long and I wanted to gush, hopefully I can get some babies hatched out with her . I've tried incubating eggs 3 separate times with no luck, so this is so exciting to me. I checked earlier but I haven't moved her, in fear of disturbing her, but this far along I figure it might be alright to look underneath her just to check for any pips? Or would it be better to wait a few days to disturb her? I'm so nervous to mess with her and her give up brooding this far along . Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[nuthatched]

You need to candle those eggs and have back up plan for all the eggs that aren't ready to watch and will likely be abandoned once enough chicks hatch.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

I agree. If it’s a staggered hatch she will likely leave the nest before all eggs have hatched as her priority will be the hatched chicks and not any eggs that are left.

 

[ravensravelry]

You need to candle those eggs and have back up plan for all the eggs that aren't ready to watch and will likely be abandoned once enough chicks hatch.

So with her being this far along you don't think me taking eggs to candle them (just to the side of her and then right back underneath) would make her abandon the nest? I don't have experience here so just trying to make sure. And I have a second broody hen I can put the eggs under if she does abandon the nest, if she didn't accept them I have an incubator but no calibrated thermometer (I plan on getting one with my next paycheck. That's why I think my incubator experiences weren't great. I was relying on the digital reader and it was not accurate)

 

[nuthatched]

So with her being this far along you don't think me taking eggs to candle them (just to the side of her and then right back underneath) would make her abandon the nest? I don't have experience here so just trying to make sure. And I have a second broody hen I can put the eggs under if she does abandon the nest, if she didn't accept them I have an incubator but no calibrated thermometer (I plan on getting one with my next paycheck. That's why I think my incubator experiences weren't great. I was relying on the digital reader and it was not accurate)

A second broody is a good plan.
She should be fine (but very angry) with it, if she's sat for this long.

 

[ravensravelry]

A second broody is a good plan.
She should be fine (but very angry) with it, if she's sat for this long.

She let's me gently pet her on the back and makes a cute little coo noise, she's more used to being handled than my other broody so I'm not that worried about her being angry, just losing interest. Thank you so much!

 

[ravensravelry]

I agree. If it’s a staggered hatch she will likely leave the nest before all eggs have hatched as her priority will be the hatched chicks and not any eggs that are left.

If I was to take the chicks after they hatch and place them in a brooder would that prevent her abandoning the nest? Just curious, I understand that it could be circumstantial depending on the hen but I don't fully know what to expect

 

[ravensravelry]

One hatched and one pipping so far