Hi all. I LOVE this forum. Everyone is a wealth of information...so thanks in advance. I have already learned so much. But, I do need to ask what to many are probably some very beginner questions...so forgive me... I thought that in the Spring I'd like to have some of my young silkie hens (just started laying about a month ago) hatch out some of my Delaware's eggs. I know that the Silkies must be broody first...and then I guess I must have collected and marked my Delaware's eggs....HOW do I collect and store eggs for this? Are they to be kept at a certain temperature until I place them under the Silkies? My plan is to let them hatch and then put them right into a brooder. Does this upset the hen and interfere with her hatching the rest of the eggs? Also, how warm should it be here in the Northeast before I let them hatch out chicks? Any/all advice welcome.....
Here's a link about collecting and storing hatching eggs: http://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/166/care-and-incubation-of-hatching-eggs Hopefully someone else can answer your other two questions!
She will care for the chicks when they hatch - no need to go into a brooder. As long as she doens't have too many chicks under her - the temps can be pretty cold too - she will sit on them & keep them warm for as long as it takes. It will upset her if you take all of her chicks - if you don't want to leave them in the cold - leave her 1 - she will love it. You can't really predict when one will go broody though - I had 2 buff orps go broody & none of my silkies. Store the eggs at basement temps -
Thanks, very helpful. I was wondering if taking ALL of the chicks would be too much for the hen. Thanks for the answer.
