Eggs with different hatch dates??

[Sassy_Silkies]

I have a broody silkie setting on eggs right now. She started with 4 eggs and someone snuck an extra 3 eggs in her nest. At first I wasn't to concerned because I wasn't sure the eggs were fertile because my Roo is still young and half the size of my layers.They are definitely fertile and some of them you can see movement inside at least one egg. but now getting closer to hatch date I am a little worried the hatch dates might be to far off. How long will she set to hatch the other eggs if she has chicks that already hatched. She also had an egg rolled out from under her last night, it felt cold to touch. Do you think its dead?
I haven't ever hatched any chicks so any help is appreciated !!!

 

[JanetMarie]

Many of us have older hens that have no tolerance for littles and would have a disaster
on our hands my silky do my hatching the have their own coop only full sized are what they hatched till I move them to the main coop when large enough

The first few times I had a broody hen not only did I separate the mom and chicks from the flock, but I kept them in the house for about a week!

Then realized later that was totally unnecessary. The mom and chicks have their own nest on the floor and food and water, she takes them outside when she thinks it's time, and I have taken measures to secure fences so chicks don't get under as easily.

 

[cmom]

From my experiences, it also depends on how long she was sitting on the first 4 eggs. The birds will lay eggs for several days before they actually incubate them and when they hatch out they usually all hatch out within a couple of days. Good luck and have fun...

 

[JanetMarie]

I keep the mom and chicks with the flock, that way the chicks integrate with the flock, and you don't have to integrate them later.

 

[JanetMarie]

I would candle all of the eggs and keep the ones that look to be the most developed and similar to each other. Mark the keepers with a sharpie on the large end of the egg, in case someone else lays an egg in the nest. Toss the others, unless you have an incubator or another broody to put them in/under to finish.

A broody hen will usually stay on the nest for 2 or 3 days after the last egg hatches.

I give my broody hens food and water the day before the eggs are scheduled to hatch, since once they start hatching she won't be able to take her daily break.

 

[cmom]

I do have a brooder for the hen to sit on and hatch out her eggs in. I also have food and water in it so even the chicks can eat because I put chick starter in their feeder when they pip.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I keep the mom and chicks with the flock, that way the chicks integrate with the flock, and you don't have to integrate them later.

Many of us have older hens that have no tolerance for littles and would have a disaster
on our hands my silky do my hatching the have their own coop only full sized are what they hatched till I move them to the main coop when large enough

 

[JanetMarie]

I thought about that but since my flock free ranges all day long and I don't have a space to keep the chicks from going through the dogs pen I would feel safer if they were with the flock but in a pen with smaller fence that babies cant get through

Everyone's set up is different and you have to do what is best to keep the chicks safe.

 

[pennyJo1960]

I am fortunate to have three coops and a nice tractor that is 4 x 8 only two in use most often Silky cannot go outside but in their tractor we have three great outside cats that are great hunters Bob, Curly and Moe..... silky coop and tractor are cat proof this I know

 

[pennyJo1960]

Hey I hatch under my Silky and they allow and handle well scattered dates