how to hatch with a broody hen

[scflock]

I have several different breeds in one coop. there is a total of 5 hens and 1 rooster. two of the breeds I know for sure are buff and a silkie, the rooster is a silkie as well. they have a perch that they sleep in, the eggs ive found have been under the perch and one was actually outside of the coop although I have no clue how they managed to do that

Buff is a color, what is the breed? You have a shot with the silkie. My silkies will sit on anything if you leave it long enough, will finish the job, and are excellent mothers. What I will do is leave eggs for 5-7 days. If they don't sit on that clutch, I will take them away and start over. Eventually she will sit. Every single silkie I have sits on eggs. They will even steal them from each other. For your first batch of chicks, I would wait until the silkie sits. My first silkie hatched a clutch of 5 when she was 7 months old

 

[36williamsn]

Styrofoam cooler with 1 1/2 inch thick walls. It was very easy to make. Check youtube lots of good ideas you can use.

 

[ThePRfan]

Buff isn't a color.
They call it the golden buff Orpington,or black.

 

[MisfitMiniFarm]

So our Rhode Island Red seemed to always be in the nest box, maybe three days in a row, chasing off any other hen who dare come back into the coop for feed. There was so much fighting going on I thought maybe I should separate her (keep my other hens safe, as well as eggs safe from threats and rooster)...
First I moved her over to the "bachelor pad" which was our first coop we built, where we housed the rooster before he moved into the hen house. She was nervous that I took her eggs, but didn't fight me any. Then she let me take her over and seemed relieved to see the eggs again and proceeded to roll them back into proper place because I did it all wrong!
Then I took a good look around and this environment was not.. the best for a new mama and babies (mainly being no ramp from the 3 ft drop out the door (just a crate to hop up and down).
So.... the next day i set up a lovely (large) dog crate and brought her inside thinking it'll be nice and warm - not lonely - calm environment...
NOW... she doesn't seem to care about eggs at all! She hardly sits on them, we constantly find her laying next to them and sometimes walks on one or two... it's been two days of this and now we are concerned that the eggs aren't good to hatch anymore. I read a few hours is fine for her to leave eggs but it's most of the day. Are they ok because they are inside and it's slightly warmer? I mean, it's February and been getting cold at night (despite the crazy warm weather we've had this winter- Western Washington) so maybe she knows the eggs don't need much more attention...? or did we just mess this up? this is our first year having the roo with the hens and thought we'd give it a shot.

Do we need to start over with another batch?
Should I try a different hen? - though I feel like that's to up to me (or is it?)
We've got 3 barred rock hens (one older, almost 3 and two younger girls), got another rhode island red (also 3) our ameraucana (also 3 years old) and one.... large white chicken - lady we got her from said she was a long leg..???? (i thought maybe leghorn?) she's also younger a year or so.
Would a younger hen or older be better? or is this purely up to them - to show their "true colors" as to who's the best mama..?
Thoughts...? Suggestions? Opinions? At this point any info helps

 

[bunniesanchez]

so I thought my silkie was finally going broody she sat on the eggs for a few hours, rolled them into place but 1 kept coming out the side... there was only 3 eggs but I think they might have been to big since they weren't here eggs, she left the nest and another girl came and took over... same thing just for a few hours and now neither one of them is sitting =/ they teased me lol