Hi me again - gee whizz talk about a learning curve in my garden! I now have a mama warrior silkie with her 3 week old chicks and a broody slightly dim silkie due to hatch 7 eggs on Wednesday and now I have my 'layer' light sussex gone broody! Not quite the plan but i'm going to roll with it!
Mabel is only about 7ish months old but she is a lovely calm bird and she has now been sitting nearly a week - on nothing (bless her!) and I've even been moving her at night (she is nesting in a small structure in the (uncovered) day run so been putting her up in the coop) and she is still determined and runs straight to her nest the minute I let her out. I have decided she is serious as she is now really not moving and not laying (she did lay the first 2 days) so want to go and pick up eggs for her in the next day or so. I have a couple of questions as my other 2 girls are older and have done it before I there was only one of us clueless (me ).
Any ideas or feedback appreciated!
Mabel is only about 7ish months old but she is a lovely calm bird and she has now been sitting nearly a week - on nothing (bless her!) and I've even been moving her at night (she is nesting in a small structure in the (uncovered) day run so been putting her up in the coop) and she is still determined and runs straight to her nest the minute I let her out. I have decided she is serious as she is now really not moving and not laying (she did lay the first 2 days) so want to go and pick up eggs for her in the next day or so. I have a couple of questions as my other 2 girls are older and have done it before I there was only one of us clueless (me ).
- She is a light sussex so pretty big (far bigger than my little silkie mummies!) - how many eggs would you put under her?
- I have read that 12 of the same size as her is OK but is that too many for a first timer?
- Should I just do a small clutch or just go for it? I kind of think just go for it - eggs aren't expensive here really and I have access to an emergency incubator if things go pear shaped!
- If you were to recommend putting a smaller number what would that number be and what would be your reasons?
Any ideas or feedback appreciated!