FIRST TIME BROODY-RISK SETTING RARE EGGS?

[JDisme]

Hi all,

I have a Silkie that has gone broody. I also have a dozen Icelandic Eggs that where gifted by a stranger, (yes gifted!). Purity of Icelandics has been confirmed, she sells hatching eggs.

Anyhow, I don't want to risk loosing these but I know that the broody will do a much better job then hatching then I can. My hatch rates are not very good at all and I have been experimenting with dry hatching to increase results.

I candled twice: on day 7 and 14 (today) all have good veining. I have been keeping humidity between 30-40%.

I am kicking around the idea of setting 6 under her and keeping 6 in the 'bator.

Oh, and here is the curve-ball: Two weeks ago I hatched 10 chicks (out of 17 ugh) and I have one remaining that didn't sell. My Silkie adopted her BEFORE she went broody and now the chick is in the nest with her. I placed food and water in the coop but I am afraid that the first time mama will get distracted with the chick and leave the nest.

Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I was going to say that splitting the eggs would be good insurance that you will get some to hatch, though I don't know how big your Silkie is and how big those eggs are. She would need to be able to cover them all so would six be too many? But not with that chick in the mix for two reasons.

I've never heard of a hen keeping a chick with her while she is brooding eggs. I'd be afraid she would stop sitting on the nest and take care of that other chick. Even with ordinary eggs, not special eggs, I would not risk it though all eggs become special when you start incubating them.

The other reason is that a broody hen knows to not poop in the nest but that chick doesn't. Is that chick pooping in the nest? That will ruin hatching eggs.

I would not risk it with that chick in the mix.

 

[JDisme]

The chick was going to be sold but escaped, being a leghorn mix it is very fast. It ran around by itself for a couple of days and then was adopted by the silkie. It was really strange. A week and a half later she went broody.

I had never thought about the poo factor. That is a good point. Maybe Ill try and sell the chick. I just prematurely sold my small coop otherwise I'd keep 'her'.

Then Ill get a new nest set up. Maybe move her at night.

Humm..how many to move. The silkie is hatchery quality and is larger then standard. She came in as an extra to a guy that bought meat birds. Icelandic eggs are on the smaller size; med to small (small being the size of a barred rock pullet egg) Maybe ill put 6 under her....But maybe I'm not that much of a gambler. She isn't a proven broody

 

[ChickensAndYoga]

If you have some dummy eggs or some you're willing to toss, I'd keep her on those and start your good ones in your incubator until you sell the chick or move it. Reality is she my set the eggs then you take her chick and she may not brood after that if she's very attached. So, at least you know the eggs got a solid and timely start. If she doesn't freak when you take her chick and she stays broody a few days, you could slip some eggs under her then.