Hi everyone, back again with another question! And it's quite complicated so bear with me :')
So I have one partridge silkie hen with 4 chicks that are about 2,5 weeks old. My partner made a 'chicken maternity ward' and it was our plan to move broody hens our 'maternity ward'. The hen with the chicks moved in already and is loving it.
Last week I had three broody hens , and tried to move one in together with the partridge silkie with chicks (they were in the same coop brooding together before so I didn't expect a lot of trouble). But the broody was attacking the hen with chicks relentlessly so I took her out and gave her eggs to another broody. I now have 2 broodies, a splash silkie with 4 eggs hatch due somewhere friday / saturday and a paint silkie one with 14 eggs due to hatch next monday. I checked yesterday to see if there were any bad eggs in those 14 (because I seem to loose about 4 every hatch) so I could cut some out but they all look great and now I have to many eggs.
I took a scare last weekend with the two hens fighting and now I'm to afraid to put them in all together. I can create two separate coops for the hens with chicks and the broody ones, but unfortunately I can't make three.
So I have several options:
1. My initial plan was to let the splash hen hatch her 4 eggs but immediately take them away (sad I know
) and slip them under the paint hen while hers are hatching and let her raise them all. But 14 chicks is already stretching it so I'm pretty sure 18 would be way to much for her. I was thinking about adding a heath lamp so if they can't snuggle underneath her they at least will be warm. And move the partridge silkie with the 4 older chicks (2.5 weeks old) to a separate coop.
2. Second plan was to wing it and let them all hatch together in the hopes they will raise them together. The paint is very gentle and so is the partridge with the older chicks. The splash is a meanie.
Unfortunately they don't know each other at all, they were kept in separate pens. And considering things went so sideways with the two hens that did know each other, I'm not sure how this is going to turn out
3. Third plan is to take the chicks away immediately when hatched and raise them myself, but that seems so sad for the hens that hatched them and it would probably stress them out quite a bit
4. We have a brooder where I could try to hatch the 14 eggs from the paint, but we haven't used it before and I don't want to loose this hatch.
I can't let them hatch in their respective pens with their flock because I think the coops will be to high for the chicks.
Any input is greatly appreciated!
So I have one partridge silkie hen with 4 chicks that are about 2,5 weeks old. My partner made a 'chicken maternity ward' and it was our plan to move broody hens our 'maternity ward'. The hen with the chicks moved in already and is loving it.
Last week I had three broody hens , and tried to move one in together with the partridge silkie with chicks (they were in the same coop brooding together before so I didn't expect a lot of trouble). But the broody was attacking the hen with chicks relentlessly so I took her out and gave her eggs to another broody. I now have 2 broodies, a splash silkie with 4 eggs hatch due somewhere friday / saturday and a paint silkie one with 14 eggs due to hatch next monday. I checked yesterday to see if there were any bad eggs in those 14 (because I seem to loose about 4 every hatch) so I could cut some out but they all look great and now I have to many eggs.
I took a scare last weekend with the two hens fighting and now I'm to afraid to put them in all together. I can create two separate coops for the hens with chicks and the broody ones, but unfortunately I can't make three.
So I have several options:
1. My initial plan was to let the splash hen hatch her 4 eggs but immediately take them away (sad I know
) and slip them under the paint hen while hers are hatching and let her raise them all. But 14 chicks is already stretching it so I'm pretty sure 18 would be way to much for her. I was thinking about adding a heath lamp so if they can't snuggle underneath her they at least will be warm. And move the partridge silkie with the 4 older chicks (2.5 weeks old) to a separate coop. 2. Second plan was to wing it and let them all hatch together in the hopes they will raise them together. The paint is very gentle and so is the partridge with the older chicks. The splash is a meanie.
Unfortunately they don't know each other at all, they were kept in separate pens. And considering things went so sideways with the two hens that did know each other, I'm not sure how this is going to turn out
3. Third plan is to take the chicks away immediately when hatched and raise them myself, but that seems so sad for the hens that hatched them and it would probably stress them out quite a bit
4. We have a brooder where I could try to hatch the 14 eggs from the paint, but we haven't used it before and I don't want to loose this hatch.
I can't let them hatch in their respective pens with their flock because I think the coops will be to high for the chicks.
Any input is greatly appreciated!
