My partner broke the brooder - thank God for the broody silkie.

[SilkieFlo]

Had a small panic attack this evening.

I had a broody silkie sitting on 14 eggs (took away 6 on friday to put in the incubator because 14 is way to much) and had 6 chicks that hatched earlier under another broody who apparently wasn’t ready to be a mom so we kept them in the brooder.

The eggs under the hen and the 6 others were in the middle of pipping.

After our evening check on the hatched chicks in the brooder, my partner broke the heath lamp! And our spare lamp appeared to be broken as well.

I was in full panic! How are these chicks going to keep themselves warm??

So I decided (my partner was like a frozen robot who couldn’t think anymore) to put the broody silkie on them in the brooder and luckily she immediately accepted them and they crawled straight under her!

I just hope the other eggs will survive the fluctuation in temperature and humidity, we moved them from the coop where she was brooding to the incubator with the other eggs.

Please cross your fingers so this might end well and I won’t find any dead chicks tomorrow or in the incubator!

Tomorrow I’m going to buy new heathing elements. What a disaster :’) picture of the first hatchlings

Ps. Just needed to write this down so I can sleep

 

[Battlepants]

Well, with the fluctuation in temperature, the big question comes to "how long were they without heat?"

Keep in mind that a broody momma DOES leave her clutch every day to take care of her various biological needs. At this time, the eggs will cool off some. I'm betting the eggs will be fine as long as you acted fairly quickly.

 

[SilkieFlo]

Well, with the fluctuation in temperature, the big question comes to "how long were they without heat?"

Keep in mind that a broody momma DOES leave her clutch every day to take care of her various biological needs. At this time, the eggs will cool off some. I'm betting the eggs will be fine as long as you acted fairly quickly.

I think all in all the eggs were without heath for about 5 - 10 mins? I’m just really scared they’ll get shrinkwrapped

 

[SilkieFlo]

Everyone survived the night and a new chick hatched

Some new eggs have pipped as well!

Those that pipped earlier in the incubator haven’t made any progress though

This was also our first big test of the incubator, my partner just finished making it. Guess it partly passed the test

 

[BigBlueHen53]

So ... the broody mama is now sitting on 8 eggs and 6 chicks? Am I understanding this correctly? The eggs under her are pipping?

Oh my, sounds interesting! Keep calm and keep us posted!

 

[SilkieFlo]

So ... the broody mama is now sitting on 8 eggs and 6 chicks? Am I understanding this correctly? The eggs under her are pipping?

Oh my, sounds interesting! Keep calm and keep us posted!

Oh, no no!

We’ve moved all the eggs from under her to the incubator. But they were already in the pipping stages so had to break lockdown protocol.

She’s a small silkie and can’t possibly keep 8 eggs and 6 chicks warm

 

[SilkieFlo]

Woke up in time to see one of the chicks hatch and made a short Timelapse!

Never mind the amateur set up in the brooder we didn’t think we would need it this soon, so we had to come up with something for the eggs to hatch in. We only have the racks to turn the eggs in for now, not sure if that is suited to make chicks hatch. But a decent tray is on its way