Broody Hen Thread!
- Thread starter FarmerBoy24
- Start date
Hello! Recently my aunt found what we think might be a swan egg at our local park, so she brought it to my silkie hen, Valerie, to hatch. She is LOVING IT. This is her first time being broody. She is about a year old, and has spring fever! Her rooster, Cottonball, is less than happy to be in the coop all the time, but he doesn't want to leave her alone (Also he's not too popular with our older birds.)
We hope it hatches, wish her luck!
Quote:
Fingers crossed!
Fingers crossed!
They're just so sweet I had to share.
Well they were sweet yesterday but today five are dead. I so wish I had moved them to the other coop. I had no idea how small a hole that they could find and get through. Never even realized that there were areas they could get out under the fence. So after I got home from work tonight we moved mom and the 4 remaining to the other coop and the 7 week olds to the coop with the big guys. I sure hope they do okay together. My heart is broken.
anywhone what
I see you started a thread and posted that you had a hen hatching eggs and asked for advice.... but you never asked a specific question and I'm not sure what your post here meant?
anywhone what?
If you have a specific question we will try to help answer it, if you are looking for general information on broody hens then your best option is to use the search block at the top of the page and type in hatching with a broody hen and then start doing a ton of reading on the old threads to gather as much general information as you can. You can also go back about 3 months on either this thread or the Old Fashioned Broody hen-hatch a-long thread in particular and go through those posts to see if it provides you the information you are looking for.
I'm so sorry that happened
So sorry, that's devastating.
I know when we got our 3 day old chicks from the hatchery we had to be so careful to make sure the had NO holes to get through, even really small ones. Their feathers make them look bigger than they are. Here's to keeping the rest of them safe and sound. (Hugs).
Oh booo. I'm so sorry. I know the feeling.
Even this year, with things locked tight, my first foster Cal Grey found the tiniest hole, dropped into the broody run, then squeezed through another hole...I found her hobbling around in the MAIN run, weak and trembling. She died the next morning under foster mom....too much stress.
Yes, they are stinkers at getting out. But, while not comforting, the ones you are keeping are the smarter ones who stayed with momma...those are the genes you want to keep.
LofMc
Hello! Recently my aunt found what we think might be a swan egg at our local park, so she brought it to my silkie hen, Valerie, to hatch. She is LOVING IT. This is her first time being broody. She is about a year old, and has spring fever! Her rooster, Cottonball, is less than happy to be in the coop all the time, but he doesn't want to leave her alone (Also he's not too popular with our older birds.)We hope it hatches, wish her luck!
At first blush this sounds like a totally fun and interesting project, and the kid in me leaps for joy, but you have some pretty steep obstacles ahead.
First, Swan incubation is significantly longer than chickens, and more delicate, with both parents taking part in the incubation process of 34 to 45 days, depending upon the species. Although many Silkies will sit tight until it hatches, even this might challenge a veteran broody as chicken eggs hatch in 21 days. She might not be able to stick the 5 to 6 weeks that it will take, nor keep the delicate turning cycle necessary for Swan eggs. (It is also unlikely that an abandoned egg will hatch...see further warning at end of post regarding bio-security issues)
Also, if it hatches, it will quickly outgrow the size of the Silkie for brooding. Further, the cygnet, being an aquatic type bird, will have different needs than chicks, so it will need a little swimming pan at some point, and it will need some specialized feed as well. I suspicion more of a game bird protein level rather than chicken chick start.
Most importantly (I checked your state laws as I live in a water fowl aware state), unfortunately,you will run into some legalities for your experiment as Virginia has laws regulating any ownership or propagation of Mute Swans since they are considered a nuisance species. If it is a native Swan species, it may fall under the Federal Migratory Act which forbids the interference or ownership of wild waterfowl in most occasions.
If it happens to be a domesticated duck egg, typical in most parks, then things will likely go better. While still growing faster than your Silkie can likely keep up with, and still needing water pan and different feed, it would be far more plausible to hatch, needing only 28 days, and not covered by the Migratory Act unless it is a wild, migratory, native species.
But finally, and sadly, again since I live in a waterfowl aware state, NEVER bring ANYTHING home from the park or wild that waterfowl have touched and integrate it into your flock! Waterfowl carry Avian Influenza. While typically a trivial illness for the waterfowl, it can be devastating to poultry. If you have a case of AI, your flock will likely be confiscated, farm shut down, as well as the county area around you. Several counties in our area just endured that after an AI outbreak occurred, brought into a farm flock by migratory waterfowl.
I'm so sorry to sound like such a crudgemudgeon and rain on your parade, as I think it would be a really fun experiment, but unfortunately it is far better to leave wild bird eggs or park bird eggs in the location you found them.
Lady of McCamley
Links for legal information:
http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildli...t-plan/virginia-mute-swan-management-plan.pdf
http://www.fws.gov/migratorybirds/regulationspolicies/treatlaw.html
Bio-security and AI (the Oregon Ag video is especially good)
http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/programs/...ckID/AnimalDiseases/Pages/AvianInfluenza.aspx
And here is a really good link about Swans from the UK (with some goose and duck info as well)
http://www.theswansanctuary.org.uk/faq.php
Last edited:
Similar threads
New posts New threads Active threads
-
Threads with more replies in the last 15 days
-
-
I know I’m probably going to upset some ppl, but I’m genuinely confused..- Started by z3lda3
- Replies: 91
-
-
-
No tails and some bald backs and other spots.
- Started by Hannah J
- Replies: 67
-
