First time hatch need help

[barry549]

hi there,

i have a black sturdy silkie who has been sitting on 13 eggs since the 3rd of august and she will not get up off the eggs to go do the toilet or eat or drink, instead she poops on eggs and refuses to eat point blank, could the eggs/chicks still survive although the shell is covered in poop?



Another question is :
Will the mother get up off the eggs once they start pipping and will i be able to take them away to a brooder at this stage or will i just leave her with her babies as their are quite alot of them, should i take chicks and leave her with just two to see how she gets on ?


Day 14 of First Hatch >> Nervous as i havent built a brooder LOL



Thanks alot

Barry

 

[sourland]

If the eggs have not been ruined from her soiling the nest, allow her to raise the chicks. Silkies are generally excellent mothers. Remove her from the nest twice a day. Move her a distance from the nest so that she may not immediately return. A hen can leave the nest for extended periods of time without any harm to the eggs. Keep no food and water within her reach. Many people keep food and water immediately adjacent to the nest. This is just a recipe for developing a hen who soils the nest. With no reason to leave the nest she will defecate right where she is.

Good luck. I hope that your eggs have not become contaminated.

 

[barry549]

hey thanks again sourland i candled my eggs with strong led torch all healthy and growing i just cant wait til they hatch

 

[barry549]

i went up tonight and the hen had got off the eggs and its day 19 but it seems that she is neglecting the egg will the chicks in them be ok ?

 

[yo burrill]

They can be off the eggs up to an hour or more at times. My broody will stay off two to three if it is a warm day. I would kick her off every couple days if she sets again. they need to eat and drink or they will be to weak to care for the chicks.

 

[barry549]

hi there thanks for all the help guys but the eggs have died @ day 20 :/ bit frustrating but maybe another time ?

 

[yo burrill]

Did you crack them to make sure??? You wont see any movement the last couple days.

 

[barry549]

Yeah i cracked one of them and it was smelling vile so i repeated with rest of eggs and each of them smelt worse than the other i think she has reset herself and is now sitting on 7 eggs again