I feel AWFUL!

[EmAbTo48]

One of my silkies went broody about a month and half ago, we tried everything to get her to stop even put her in quarantine by herself for a week. Well I gave in and gave her 4 eggs- not sure if they were fertile or not, just to let her sit and then if they didn't hatch I was hoping she would be over the brooding.

Well yesterday morning I had to work at 6am so hubby took care of all the animals for me. Well of course he was trying to be nice and grabbed up the eggs like I usually do. Well I had marked the 4 I gave to her with black marker to make sure I wouldn't accidentally take them since for some reason if she gets off the nest even just to get a drink the other hens will go lay on them and usually end up laying there egg in there

.

Fast forward to this morning I decided to make some eggs.... well he must have not looked well enough and I cracked open 2 eggs and of course they BOTH were chicks (not full grown yet at all). The marks on these 2 eggs had faded and were hard to tell, i should have re marked them!

Well I now know the last 2 are fertile and that I should be expecting 2 chicks eventually. I re-marked the 2 remaining eggs again, not having that happen again!

This is the first time I have even had one of my girls go broody so first time allowing a hen to do the work. My question is how long does it take? Shes been on the nest for almost 2 weeks, she doesn't leave it at all only once in a blue moon have I seen her get up just to eat a bit and then shes straight back to it.

UGH I just feel awful they clearly looked like chicks but in the developing stages.....

Now my husband won't even collect the eggs.

 

[kari_dawn]

I think eggs usually take 21 days to hatch...have you considered separating her and her eggs to prevent any mixups?

 

[gryeyes]

Quote:
it takes 21 days to incubate eggs, whether in an incubator or under a broody hen.

Good for you for marking the eggs! Just mark 'em again when the marks start to fade.

 

[EmAbTo48]

I would rather keep them together till the chicks are actually born, She tends to call out and get frantic when she is separated from the rest of the flock. Plus the other hens give her a break otherwise I think she wouldn't ever get of the nest. She usually waits till her sister comes around and then gets down and then she sits, but I have seen our buff and RIR on it, they are the ones laying their eggs in it once in awhile, so sadly they must have done that when my husband collected eggs.

Lesson learned, I will make sure the marks are on there good for the rest of the time and will see what happens.

 

[Me & Jack]

I am so sorry that happened to you. You must have felt sick realizing what was going on.

As for her state of panic at being separated from the flock, she might not mind at all if she's in the throws of being broody. Worth a shot and then you don't have to worry about going through the same thing again. If she does freak out if you try to move her she'll probably be just fine moving back again.

Best of luck.

 

[sunny & the 5 egg layers]

 

[debs_flock]

Quote:
I'm sorry for your loss of the two chicks.

Just curious, after you opened the first one, how did you manage to open the second one? I think I would have been looking really closely after cracking open that first chick.

Also, are you sure the other two are still viable? It was 24 hours between your husband pulling the eggs and you cracking open the two. Where were they stored in between? I'm not sure they would still be good after a cool down that long.

Deb

 

[The Chickeneer]

been there

 

[EmAbTo48]

Quote:
I'm sorry for your loss of the two chicks.

Just curious, after you opened the first one, how did you manage to open the second one? I think I would have been looking really closely after cracking open that first chick.

Also, are you sure the other two are still viable? It was 24 hours between your husband pulling the eggs and you cracking open the two. Where were they stored in between? I'm not sure they would still be good after a cool down that long.

Deb

I crack 2 eggs at a time I have got pretty good at it actually

but of course they both were the chicks, otherwise yes I would have been frantically checking all the eggs brought in. I freaked out after these 2 and looked for the other 2! Then asked my husband and he told me he left the 2 marked ones.

My husband knew I marked the eggs. He saw that 2 were marked and couldn't find the rest and he said he assumed they ended up bad and I tossed them I should have remarked them since I knew which ones they were. My husband never collects eggs only I do since they are my birds but he thought he was being nice since I got called in for a double when it was my day off. Just bad timing I guess since I rarely get called into work (I am a ER nurse) with that short of notice.

Just have to learn from mistakes!

 

[debs_flock]

Ah, that explains it. Well good luck, I hope the two remaining eggs hatch for you.

Deb