diamondsilkies
Songster
Welcome to BYC! Glad you joined us!
There are several ways you can hatch chicks, with a broody hen or an incubator. I know some people build their own incubators (which I have never personally attempted but always thought sounded interesting). There are also a wide variety of incubators for sale online. If you let a hen do it, she should take care of everything.
If you do it yourself, I've found the best temperature seems to be around 99.5. You can candle them starting around day 5, just by putting a flashlight against the egg in a dark space. Personally I find this one of the most interesting steps, because you can see the embryo during it's development, and when they're very young sometimes you can see the little heartbeat! It's best not to candle too much, and to always wash your hands before and after to reduce the risk of bacteria killing the embryo. I usually candle at day 4 or 5, day 12, and day 17. If you see eggs with no development or a single red ring around the eggshell, those are no longer viable and you should take them out. There are lots of pictures on the Internet of what healthy embryos should look like during candling, and which ones to take out.
After day 17, don't disturb the eggs or even open the incubator if you can help it. Hatch day can depend on what breed you're incubating, but silkies usually hatch on day 20 or day 21. If temperature drops more than a couple degrees sometime during the hatch, they can hatch several days later. The nutrients they have from the yolk will last them 2-3 days after they hatch, so technically you can leave them in the incubator for that long. I usually take mine out once they're dry and fluffy, which can take quite a while because of the humidity. The constant temperature is good for them, and if they get taken out immediately they can get too cold.
Of course, these are just the basics. There are tons of helpful articles, threads, and people on here. Silkies are one of personal favorite breeds, not only because of their appearance but also their temperament. Best of luck to you and your nephew (and any new chicks you might hatch out!)
There are several ways you can hatch chicks, with a broody hen or an incubator. I know some people build their own incubators (which I have never personally attempted but always thought sounded interesting). There are also a wide variety of incubators for sale online. If you let a hen do it, she should take care of everything.
If you do it yourself, I've found the best temperature seems to be around 99.5. You can candle them starting around day 5, just by putting a flashlight against the egg in a dark space. Personally I find this one of the most interesting steps, because you can see the embryo during it's development, and when they're very young sometimes you can see the little heartbeat! It's best not to candle too much, and to always wash your hands before and after to reduce the risk of bacteria killing the embryo. I usually candle at day 4 or 5, day 12, and day 17. If you see eggs with no development or a single red ring around the eggshell, those are no longer viable and you should take them out. There are lots of pictures on the Internet of what healthy embryos should look like during candling, and which ones to take out.
After day 17, don't disturb the eggs or even open the incubator if you can help it. Hatch day can depend on what breed you're incubating, but silkies usually hatch on day 20 or day 21. If temperature drops more than a couple degrees sometime during the hatch, they can hatch several days later. The nutrients they have from the yolk will last them 2-3 days after they hatch, so technically you can leave them in the incubator for that long. I usually take mine out once they're dry and fluffy, which can take quite a while because of the humidity. The constant temperature is good for them, and if they get taken out immediately they can get too cold.
Of course, these are just the basics. There are tons of helpful articles, threads, and people on here. Silkies are one of personal favorite breeds, not only because of their appearance but also their temperament. Best of luck to you and your nephew (and any new chicks you might hatch out!)
Welcome!
to have you join the family. Enjoy your time here at BYC! 
