I'm debating... need your opinion please!

[startingover]

I have 14 shipped maran eggs in the bator. They are due to go into the hatcher today for lockdown. 12 of the eggs are for sure good. Great for shipped huh??

Anyway - I have a first time broody silkie (1 year old) that I have in a cage in the house sitting on a few eggs. I honestly don't care if she hatches these eggs because they are mixes since I don't have anybody seperated. Only reason I brought her in was because she kept getting kicked off the nest and every couple days and I got tired of throwing eggs away.

So I know 12 eggs is too many for her to hatch. If I hatch in the bator should I give them to her after hatching? Or raise them in the brooder myself and let her hatch whatever she's sittin on. Hmmm...

Decisions decisions.....

Help!

 

[NonnasBabies]

Me personally... If you have a broody I would stick them under her in a second. Now 14 might be to many but...

My easy chicks were the one rasied by mama!!

Good Luck!!

 

[jvls1942]

i would not put them under her.. Not that I have not and will not do it but where are you going to put her and the babies after you give them to her? it seems to me that you have no place outside or you would have her outside with her eggs already..

 

[Ridgerunner]

I love broodies. Mine do such a good job and make my life easier, well at least most of the time.

In northern Kentucky this time of year, I would not give her any more chicks than she can cover. Match the number of chicks to the number of eggs the size the chicks hatch from. You are in for some more cold nights and she needs to be able to keep them warm. In a couple if weeks they may be too big for her to cover, but she will manage then as long as it is not too many. I have had one hen raise 15 chicks, but she could cover them all until they were about 1-1/2 weeks old.

I don't know how big your Silkie is. Many are bantams and may not be able to cover more than 4 of that sized eggs. Some are a lot larger and may be able to handle all 12. I'd think those Marans are too valuable to you to want to push it too far.

Good luck. Hope all 12 hatch.

 

[kera!]

i would let her she wants to be a mama and you want the marans let nature go I think it will be adorable....send pics if you do

 

[startingover]

For the past 4 years every time we have babies we have changed the brooder setup every year. We mostly raise and sell guinea keets (about 150 a year). So this year I have my list complete on what I do and don't want in my brooder and we build a great one. It was basically be used for the first several weeks when they must have heat and then they will get moved to a brooder pen. If the weather would cooperate with my spring itch things would be outstanding! The barn is almost done and the chicken room is on the 2nd floor of the barn (room will be 25x30). The brooder would be in there as well as the brooder pen, etc. So the brooder itself is moveable and on legs and is 3x4 feet. It is also set up for my sweeter heater that I just got. No lamps in the barn.

So technically I could put the silkie and the newly hatched chicks in the brooder with the sweeter heater for more warmth. The brooder is currently in the basement since I don't have enough room in my present chicken house.