Nightmare

[chickenGRAFFITI]

One of my silkie hens, Uma, and her daughter, Raja, have been sitting on a clutch of eggs. Uma went broody first and she has to be a contender for the most broody hen of all time. This is her 8th time this year.

Anyhow, she was sitting on 1 of her eggs and I was OK with adding 1 to our flock. The problem is that Raja would come into her nest every day and lay an egg. There are now 9 eggs and they are both broody and sitting on the same nest.

They look like twins and it is just adorable to see both of them sitting side by side. Yesterday I said to myself that I would take out 7 of their eggs today when I force them to take their lunch/potty break in the afternoon. But, last night I had a terrible nightmare that I was killing these almost fully developed chicks in a shell. I woke up with unbelievable amount of guilt and today I just cannot seem to bring myself to take these eggs out. Has anyone else had a similar experience or am I crazy?

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

http://chickscope.beckman.uiuc.edu/explore/embryology/

On the above link, you can click on the day to see how far along the chicks are.

I think it is very sweet to let them brood.

I'm going to be in the same boat in just a couple of months. I'm going to have to sell some silkies at auction after they hatch and grow a little.

 

[BooBear]

awe....oughta let em go ahead and hatch the eggs.

 

[chickenzoo]

If I must.......as a favor to you, I'll take the babies when they hatch, just send them to me......

 

[Judy]

Um, next time.... mark the eggs (Sharpie is good) you want to hatch and remove new ones daily, and eat them; they don't start developing that fast. If she sets on 9 eggs laid over 9 days, she will abandon the newer ones when a few chicks have hatched and she decides to mother them. Or collect them on your kitchen counter and give them to her all at once. You can't do much of a staggered hatch under a broody!

Of course if you have an incubator you can hatch the ones she abandons yourself. With a little luck you might be able to give her those chicks, too.