Help hatching eggs and keeping them? due this week!!

[nlbeardmore]

Hello

This is the first time we have tried to hatch eggs and have a few questions to ask about everything, so any help would be appreticated!

1. We put 2 eggs under our broody silkie cross on the 14th of july, and have candled them 3 times, and all 3 times we have seen things inside which lead us to believe they are both fertile! e.g veins, dark shadows. We are now on day 18 and just wondering, how long do "silkie" eggs take to hatch?

2. Should we candle them again for the last time tonight? day 18? would it hurt?

3. Currently the broody keeps getting pushed off one of her eggs by another of our hens who has turned broody, we keep putting her in the other run now, but cant stop her doing this at night? is this normal? or will this affect the chicks?

4. When should be be able to start to hear them in the egg? or feel them moving?

5. Also when/if they begin to hatch, will the broody be okay to leave her in the run/house with 10 other chickens to hatch her chicks? will they be safe? Can they grow up in this setting? and also how can we tame them, we had some chicks before, under a broody who we left with the mom, and they just went wild?

Sorry about all the questions, rather new to this but any help would be really good and helpful!

thanks in advance

jack

 

[nlbeardmore]

anyone?

?

 

[nlbeardmore]

can anyone help? so confused? and stressed

 

[dkcrumly]

Quote:
I see no one with experience has answered you yet. I will answer, but I'm very new to this whole chicken thing too

I believe silkies take the normal 21 days but can be a day or so early if conditions are right.

I do not think it will hurt to candle on day 18 (I've done this) just be sure to move them around as little as possible.

Sounds to me like you should keep the other broody away if the one you want to hatch them is lower on the "pecking" order and hasn't been able to keep her away on her own. This would also be important for once the chicks are hatched. However, I personally removed my broody hen with her eggs to a different area (she was lowest on the pecking order) so that she wouldn't be bothered by the others. The others can see the baby chicks now, but can't get to them.

Can you put up a temporary run for them? Even a portable dog fence or something? I know alot of people will argue this point and say leave them be, so it is up to you. I personally didn't want my broody to be stressed out about it and I didn't want to worry about the babies being hurt. Also, by my moving them it give ME more access to the babies and handling them. I take them treats every day (meal worms, canned corn, oatmeal, etc) and they now come up to my hand to take a treat. They still don't want me to pick them up, but they will tolerate me (they are 2 weeks old).

Hope some of this will help.

Good luck!

p.s. I have 5 BC Marans eggs under a different broody, and we're on day 17!

 

[penkwolf]

If anyone else has advice on these questions i am also interested in hearing! thanks!

 

[nlbeardmore]

Thankyou for all your advice, i think we will probably move mother Peggy and eggs to another run as now another one of our hens has also decided to go broody on us (its catching

) just hope these eggs arnt far from hatching! 3 more days to go

. Is there anything we need to do to help the chicks hatch? someone once told me to gently dampen the egg so its easier for them to crack open? Or is it best to leave them for mother Peggy?

 

[saddina]

Quote:

 

[nlbeardmore]

thankyou sadina for all your help i will move mother peggy today to a very own coop and run of her own