Help with hen not sitting on first egg of her clutch

[Jeni11]

My silkie hen has just started her clutch but she is not sitting on them. She laid her first egg on Wednesday and just laid her second this morning. She did not sit on her egg on Thursday and is not sitting on them now to keep them warm, she is just out and about socializing with our other hens and rooster. Is it safe that she isn't sitting on the eggs? I've read that she won't go broody and sit on the eggs until she has established her complete clutch. Is this true? I'm terrified because the eggs feel cold and we are trying to incubate and hatch them naturally with her.

 

[Bill 101]

What you heard was true. She will not set on them until she has established a clutch. That clutch size can be anything from 6 to 20. If your concerned about them freezing remove them & put them into an egg carton small end down. Lean the carton against something solid like a wall & "turn" them 3 or more times a day by reversing ends. I'd suggest you mark a date on them so when she does go broody you will know which are the freshest. She can cover a maximum of 8 so there is no sense giving her older eggs