HELP! with brooding question.

[Kim]

have a dozen standard hens. I bought a silkie bantam from an auction and kept her separate from the rest of my hens because she was smaller and to make sure she was healthy. She was broody, so I let her keep her eggs. This week 8 chicks hatched out, but 2 died. The rest the hen has been taking care of. They are so adorable. The all stay hidden under her, but if I call "here babies", they all peek out and a couple will run out to see what's up.

Now my question. I also had some eggs in an incubator from my standard hens. Today 3 chicks hatched out. I was wondering since they are so close in hatch date, if I could place these chicks under the broody silkie? This is my first hen hatch (I have always incubator hatched and cage brooded.) How many chicks can one silkie handle? Will she accept the newcomers?

THANKS,
Kim

 

[Orpingtonlover]

you can but as soon at those ones hatch she will leave the ones she is already on

 

[robin416]

Here is the problem I see with the idea of adding more chicks, she could have a very difficult time trying to keep the peeps warm at night. I have a Silkie with 7 5 day old chicks, all hers, but a week later they've grown enough that its becoming more difficult to cover them.

There is also the possibility that she will have nothing to do with them. Not all new Silkie Mommas will automatically accept peeps she did not hatch. I have one, wish she would have taken that single it would have saved me a lot of grief.

 

[BeckyLa]

I think it mostly depends on where you live. If you're in sunny Florida, and she would take them, it would probably work. But if you're in a cold climate and the temps will be under 50* at night for a while yet, then it probably won't be a good idea. Since the 3 are standards, they will grow too big in a week or two for her to cover everyone completely in very cold weather. In a warmer climate it's not as critical.

 

[robin416]

LOL Becky, I think you would have to be in S Florida to be safe. The husband who is St Pete is telling me the nights are being pretty cool there too. Not as bad as us but certainly not FL weather in March.

 

[BeckyLa]

Ouch! Should be lows in the 60's there now. Man. Thanks (I think).