Broody Silkie in very cold weather Any answers will help!

[Jacob42]

We have one of our silkies has been on 4 eggs for 3 days now, she let me take them a few days prior but I figure if she is gonna try to hatch them I would let her try. This is her first time and ours, my question is the eggs had already been cold for at least a few hours, we try to keep our coop above freezing but its hard to do with temps in -20's. What is the possibility she will be able to hatch them? Also when they do hatch, should I bring the hen in with the chicks or just them? Or do we leave them out there?

 

[Kewlhanded]

Mine got cold under my broody twice that I knew of and there was an 100% hatch rate. And I have six more under another broody. So odds are good I would say, candle them on day eight or so and u will know!

 

[bethandjoeync]

we had our first broody start 14 days ago. We took her out of the cold coop and put her in a rubbermaid bin in the house to let her hatch what she had under her. Its our first time and hers as well so we are completely new to this we have been getting some great info from others. Not sure about your questions about leaving her out there or when to put the babies back out maybe someone can help that have experience. GOOD LUCK

 

[bigdawg]

i have three silkie sisters that all hatched out babies whithin a week of each other. they are 2 weeks old and doing fine in the coop. they share mommy duties. what ever hen they can get under is fine with them. i did loose two at first, possilble they got step on by the roos. i would separate her you can. thats what i would have done different.

 

[Jacob42]

Thank you all for your input, We will try to candle them in a few days and if it looks good we will have some decisions to make concerning where they will go, Should I keep the mom with them? We were not thinking of babies until spring because of the cold temps here, plus we have promised to donate some eggs to the school for spring, we dont have a ton of coop room but we will see what happens I guess, it will be an interesting variety with our bunch anyways.

 

[Kewlhanded]

I have mom with the babies, I gues it depends on how good of a chicken mama she is. Mine happens to be great and it's to cold to just have them in a brooder (large dog crate), my 1882 house does not have central heat. I will keep them with her util they are feathered enough to stay warm or until our warmer weather returns. But Mama saves me in worry and electric, it's a double possitive.

 

[Jacob42]

I am actually surprised this hen is the one to go broody, she is very obnoxious normally. She picks on all the girls we got after her, the nice one sits in the box for a few hours but gets out eventually.

 

[Ducks-R-Us]

My silkie hatched out two ducklings a week ago. She sat on the eggs in an unheated coop - ice on the walls - outside temps dropped as far as 33 below - until the last day when I moved her inside. She was given 4 eggs, 2 duck eggs and a week later 2 chicken eggs, 5 days before they were to hatch, she ended up on the wrong nest, all 4 eggs were ice cold but I put her back on the eggs and checked them a few days later and 3 of the 4 were good. The chicken egg hatched a day early but the chick was eaten by the other chickens, so I moved her inside to hatch out the two duck eggs. They are doing just fine and are now 1 week old.

 

[seminolewind]

I guess I would leave her be, and when the chicks hatch, move them and mom into the house. I would worry too much leaving babies outside. But that's me

 

[Jacob42]

That is what we are thinking, bring them all in for a bit after they hatch, if they do. It all will be interesting since we were hoping to wait till spring for our first experience with hatched eggs.