Help! I feel a bit overwhelmed :(

[bhawk-23]

Ok, here goes.

Get first broody 12 eggs (went perfect last time!) and 6 hatched. All is well.
Enter 2 more broodies sharing a nest. Yay! Order 6 eggs total for both, don't want to overwhelmed myself.
Thank goodness I thought that one through because only 1 stayed broody, phew!
Eggs come and there are 10. Unexpected but doable. We were supposed to get a couple Silky eggs in the mix but we didn't. Son was disappointed, but no luck finding any within driving distance so we place under the broody all10 eggs (8 full sized and 2 bantams) late Friday night.
All is still well.
Sunday morning I wake up to a text from a somewhat local person who has 2 silky eggs. Perfect! Start heading that direction, 3 hour drive, and never get a response text with their address. Check craigslist again to be sure there was none listed. Nope, but found another listing in the same area and they have some eggs. Great! change course. Leave there with 12 bantam eggs, ! duck egg and 1, 3 week old, adorable Silky chick.

So now I'm in over my head and I am trying my best to do everything right. This is where I need help.

Found home for 2 hens that are the bullies so I only have 7 hens in my flock now.
I found a friend with a broody and gave her 3 eggs (2 full sized and 1 bantam).
I get 2 chicks to keep the 1 silky we were sent home with yesterday company. The Silky is constantly crying for us now.
Build a "nursery pen" inside our coop protected from but visible to the hens for easier integration.
Attempting to move broody and her eggs to this same area so she can have more peace and the others can stop laying on her. I've been working on this in steps already but need to quicken it up now.

Current situation is 2, 3 week old chicks outside safe in nursery.
One 3 week Silky chick inside constantly crying.
Broody is on 13 bantam eggs and 5 full sized eggs. I'm worried about this amount!

I feel like an out of control wreck. Does anyone have some wisdom or advice for my situation? Something I'm missing? How can I improve this set up for my chickens? It's them who I'm worried about.

And yes, I really need to learn how to be firm when I say no thank you. I did not need this 3 week chick which has now got me 2 more not needed chicks. She insisted it was a gift for my son and I just felt so rude to the kindness she has shown us. But, in the end, this is what I am truly stressed about.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Why is one of the 3 weeks inside and the other 2 outside?

 

[bhawk-23]

Why is one of the 3 weeks inside and the other 2 outside?

Because it just sits there crying. Literally, cries until we come and then eats. We walk away they stop eating and look for us. We come into view and it will eat again. We do not know what to do! This is why I said no more chicks unless it's a broody doing the raising!!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Just put it with the other 2 and leqve. Sounds harsh, but it should imprint sooner or later on them and do fine

 

[bhawk-23]

Just put it with the other 2 and leqve. Sounds harsh, but it should imprint sooner or later on them and do fine

That does sound harsh!!! I get it, and I did prepare my son (and me too) for it happening but I'm really struggling with actually doing it. We are walking it outside now. We do have a mama heating pad thing set up so maybe that will help??

 

[Birdie2019]

Because it just sits there crying. Literally, cries until we come and then eats. We walk away they stop eating and look for us. We come into view and it will eat again. We do not know what to do! This is why I said no more chicks unless it's a broody doing the raising!!

We hatched three here in the incubator. One of them did that for about a week or two. I was in the same room, but not visible. She got over it and is only very sweet now. Pretty sure she is a she (feather color). I didn’t do anything different. She just all of a sudden weaned off of (?) crying for me, if that makes sense. It was a slow stop.

 

[bhawk-23]

We hatched three here in the incubator. One of them did that for about a week or two. I was in the same room, but not visible. She got over it and is only very sweet now. Pretty sure she is a she (feather color). I didn’t do anything different. She just all of a sudden weaned off of (?) crying for me, if that makes sense. It was a slow stop.

Thank you! And I have a confession, I am making my son sit outside for now. I came inside to "do dishes" because it is much easier to say what is best than have to be the one doing it sometimes. I guess being a mom has its weird perks also? hahaha

As far as the rest of my set up, does it seem to be under control? Am I over taxing and stressing my broody? I finally got her moved to the new location where she will no longer have others trying to lay on her. Sadly, it was after a Serama egg was broke. Bummer...

 

[Birdie2019]

As far as the rest of my set up, does it seem to be under control? Am I over taxing and stressing my broody? I finally got her moved to the new location where she will no longer have others trying to lay on her. Sadly, it was after a Serama egg was broke. Bummer...

Sometimes moving broodies can break them of their broodiness. We did one, and she was fine. As long as she’s a big hen, she should be able to handle it. Just make sure to candle at around a week (3 days at least, but give 5+ days to know for sure) and take out the bad eggs. After that, just leave her be. I think she’ll do fine. Hens are soooo happy when you give them more eggs, you aren’t stressing her.

 

[bhawk-23]

Sometimes moving broodies can break them of their broodiness. We did one, and she was fine. As long as she’s a big hen, she should be able to handle it. Just make sure to candle at around a week (3 days at least, but give 5+ days to know for sure) and take out the bad eggs. After that, just leave her be. I think she’ll do fine. Hens are soooo happy when you give them more eggs, you aren’t stressing her.

Thank you, I was worried it might be too much. She is my son's favorite and the only hen that will relax and sleep on our laps.

I did NOT expect all these eggs! But one unexpected outcome was the ability to also make a friend's broody (and kids!) happy as can be We also gifted them their starter flock with our last hatch and they are loving it!

This chicken math is real! I really thought you all were joking when I first joined but apparently I have embarked the crazy train too

 

[Chicalina]

Welcome to the Crazy Train!