Hens off the eggs

[Mummytomany]

Hi

I have two silkies which are brooding for the first time. They both seem to get off the nest every day but it doesn’t seem to be the fastest as when I’ve been checking their nest for the infertile eggs of my other hens (we don’t have a rooster) the eggs feel cold to touch. How long can the hens stay off the eggs having food and water before it compromises the developing chicks?

Thanks

 

[Perris]

Hello @Mummytomany , welcome to BYC

They are beginners so they may make mistakes - but they'll probably learn by them, and it's the only way they can learn. And they may not be making a mistake. If it's the first week of incubating, I wouldn't worry. I had one that was off for up to 6 hours during the first week first and second time brooding, and the eggs were fine. She's now 6 and goes broody 1-3 times a year, and has been a good mummy to many chicks.

Generally, and especially since both you and your broodies are beginners at this, it's wise to sit on your hands and let them do it. A hen's instincts are usually better than what we think we know about incubating and raising chicks.

 

[Mummytomany]

Hello @Mummytomany , welcome to BYC

They are beginners so they may make mistakes - but they'll probably learn by them, and it's the only way they can learn. And they may not be making a mistake. If it's the first week of incubating, I wouldn't worry. I had one that was off for up to 6 hours during the first week first and second time brooding, and the eggs were fine. She's now 6 and goes broody 1-3 times a year, and has been a good mummy to many chicks.

Generally, and especially since both you and your broodies are beginners at this, it's wise to sit on your hands and let them do it. A hen's instincts are usually better than what we think we know about incubating and raising chicks.

They’ve been off for less than an hour each day. I wouldn’t say it is any different from the first week to this week. They are due next Thursday I think. I just feel bad if they don’t hatch any chicks after all this effort!

Also they are in the normal nesting boxes in their coop with the other chickens (we also have runner ducks who share the run with them). I put a post on a few days ago about this but if I need to separate these two silkies from the others should I do it as soon as the chicks arrive? What happens in the wild as presumably the chickens would just protect their chicks from other chickens/ ducks etc?

 

[Perris]

They’ve been off for less than an hour each day. I wouldn’t say it is any different from the first week to this week. They are due next Thursday I think. I just feel bad if they don’t hatch any chicks after all this effort!

Also they are in the normal nesting boxes in their coop with the other chickens (we also have runner ducks who share the run with them). I put a post on a few days ago about this but if I need to separate these two silkies from the others should I do it as soon as the chicks arrive? What happens in the wild as presumably the chickens would just protect their chicks from other chickens/ ducks etc?

Less than an hour a day is normal. When they sense the hatch is starting (it's a process, not an event) they may dash off to eat and drink as much as possible before settling down to stay put until it is completed. It is common for 1 or more eggs to not hatch, for a variety of reasons; you can do an eggtopsy after the family have left the nest if you want to try to discover why an egg didn't hatch.

With a couple of exceptions (for different reasons), all mine have brooded and hatched in a nest box in a coop with the rest of the flock having access 24/7. None have had trouble from other flock members; and no chick has been attacked - they may get an occasional disciplinary peck from another hen, but that's not an attack, and the broody can and will defend them if required; one of mine has even pinned a kestrel to the ground, and another chased away a hawk that was 3 times her size and had fearsome talons. So I know that hatching within the flock can go well. I don't know anything about ducks though, or what difference they may make in this situation, so can't help there.