Here is the situation (take into consideration I am so new at this) My 2 silkie hens laid about 12 eggs between them. There were taking turns on the nest and then one day they were not on the nest at all...so I brought them in to be candled and what I thought was around Day 5...I saw nothing. So I cracked them open and out of the 12, 4 of them were fertilized. So I was at ease knowing my rooster was doing what he needed to do. I thought I would let them try again. June 10, both girls laid an egg...they were off and on the nest and I didn't they either of them was broody and I left the eggs in the nest June 11, another two eggs (I dated all the eggs as well) left them in the nest, I was away most of the day so I did not see their behaviour June 12, another two eggs, I then made an incubator because I decided I wanted more control over these eggs and I made one and took these two eggs into the house and stored them according to directions I have read. June 13, another two eggs, the hen was on the nest most of the day (late afternoon she was out eating and having a dust bath. I ASSumed that she was off the nest, it meant she was not broody and I took those eggs as well. (June 10, 11th eggs still in the nest) June 14, because I had the incubator running at a consistant temp/humidity I decided to put the eggs in. Because I have also been reading about how hard it is to hatch silky eggs, I thought "grab the other 4 and put them in the incubator and have 8 eggs on the go". probably a bad idea, as it was obvious the hen had gone super broody....and she hadn't laid any more eggs June 15th- Day 1 (or so I thought) went well June 16th - Day 2. June 17 - Day 3...(today) I thought I would candle them. I went into my windowless bathroom and candled all 8 eggs...I assumed not to see anything as I am only Day 3...but I have 0 patience sometimes. Here is what I saw... The eggs from June 12th, 13th eggs...I just see the yolk right now The eggs from June 10, 11th...I see veins, and I dark dot, with a lighter dark mass around it, and it is moving around. So now my concern is this...I have two sets of eggs don't I? Can a couple of days make THAT much of a difference in development? I just don't know what to do...because the developing eggs I could put back under the hen...but I don't know if she is broken from her broodiness...I spent $40.00 to make the one incubator (with the help of my bf)...I think he will be kind of irritated if I ask him to make another one.... Do I wait to see if the other eggs develop? Then decide...because I don't have to decide till Day 17 right? Am I being tooooo paranoid?
