Hi...
We have a situation going on where we have fertile silkie eggs under broody hens ( a silkie and a RIR). The RIR had been sitting on duck eggs and actually hatched out three ducklings - the rest of the eggs were rotten, so out they went. One chick hatched under the silkie and there are still about 5 good eggs under her, but the RIR decided she just wasn't done and jumped into the silkie's nesting box yesterday.
The night before the RIR jumped the "wall" there were two eggs that had their peep holes punched and the chicks inside making noise and I figured by morning they'd be out. When I checked yesterday morning, they still hadn't hatched, but I figured in due time. When I checked again in the afternoon the RIR had jumped over and pushed the silkie hen out at some point during the day - still no chicks, though, and the silkie jumped back in as I was investigating. I checked the two eggs that were hatching (the chick that had hatched last weekend was still doing great) and saw that one was already dead - about 1/3 hatched and the other was barely alive. Against all known facts and reason, I helped the chick hatch as it was 1/2 hatched and quickly flaking off the egg, but sticking to the inside lining. The little thing was barely breathing, so I put it under the hens and hoped for the best....which didn't work and the little thing died.
Could it be that having two hens in the same box is now killing my chicks? They have now separated the eggs into "mine" and "yours", and the box is big enough for that (it's an old apple crate), but I'm worried the heat from the two isn't good. There are a few eggs that are still good and I don't want to loose anymore...please help!
We have a situation going on where we have fertile silkie eggs under broody hens ( a silkie and a RIR). The RIR had been sitting on duck eggs and actually hatched out three ducklings - the rest of the eggs were rotten, so out they went. One chick hatched under the silkie and there are still about 5 good eggs under her, but the RIR decided she just wasn't done and jumped into the silkie's nesting box yesterday.
The night before the RIR jumped the "wall" there were two eggs that had their peep holes punched and the chicks inside making noise and I figured by morning they'd be out. When I checked yesterday morning, they still hadn't hatched, but I figured in due time. When I checked again in the afternoon the RIR had jumped over and pushed the silkie hen out at some point during the day - still no chicks, though, and the silkie jumped back in as I was investigating. I checked the two eggs that were hatching (the chick that had hatched last weekend was still doing great) and saw that one was already dead - about 1/3 hatched and the other was barely alive. Against all known facts and reason, I helped the chick hatch as it was 1/2 hatched and quickly flaking off the egg, but sticking to the inside lining. The little thing was barely breathing, so I put it under the hens and hoped for the best....which didn't work and the little thing died.
Could it be that having two hens in the same box is now killing my chicks? They have now separated the eggs into "mine" and "yours", and the box is big enough for that (it's an old apple crate), but I'm worried the heat from the two isn't good. There are a few eggs that are still good and I don't want to loose anymore...please help!
