Not sure what to do she is off the eggs - silkie

[Seeing Silkies]

I have a moma hen on 12 eggs - I thought they should of hatched 3 days ago. So I did the light thing on 5 of them dark with an air pocket was all I could see, on the 5 egg I drop it there was a live chick - but not a 21 day old, it was small & the yoke was still pretty large.... She has been a great moma sitting non stop. BUT today she when out in the yard & is still out there 15 min now & seems to be acting odd like in a panic and scratching & eating like crazy ( food and water right next to her nest & treats ).. I checked on the eggs and they are warm.. Do they stock up before the hatch, get there last outside outting before they hatch? It is 55 out side I do have a heat light on in the coop.. Whats to long for her to be of them? Now I dont know what to do I am running around like her in a panic.. Do I bring the eggs in and hatch them? Candel them again.. None are pip.

 

[Seeing Silkies]

ok she is back on them, she was off them for 20 min. She seemed to be sitting on them since the 8th.. well every time I went out to the copp she was on them. when I candled & drop the egg on friday there no way they were at 21 days.. I have hatched eggs out on my own & with a broody hen.. Both times they hatched at 19 & 20 days.. I guess I will have to wait & seen.. The odd panic way she was acting made me panic.. hopping flying scratching & eating in the yard.. The other silkies were running from her ( she was not going after them ), she had everyone in panic, the others went to the end of the pen & left her do her thing??????? now she back in the box and everyone else is back to the nom, going in and out of the house???????

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

She and the eggs should be in confined area where she cannot leave. She should have feed and water available and the other chickens should not be able to get to her.

I say "should"...for the best outcome.

 

[Seeing Silkies]

Thank You for the reply, She is in with 7 others ( silkies & show girls ), all young aside from a mom & chick & a roo that just started to crow all others are from 8 to 14 weeks. She has food and water right next to her box and there is another food & water in the hen house for the others, I also have food & water in the outside area. This is the same setting my show girl did well with she only has 1 left with her. But she hatched on time if not early. After reading some other post it seemd like to norm to act a bit panic when she was off the nest, It was just so unlike any time i have ever seen her out.. I am hoping she was just getting her last good meal & run about before the hatch & I thought letting the hens do it & it would be less stressful on me NOT LOL
Thanks again

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Good luck...keep us posted

 

[ChooksChick]

It's not at all unusual for them to leave the nest for up to an hour once or twice a day. That's very normal, and you just need to be sure she sits on the right nest when she returns...sometimes they go in the wrong box!

 

[Seeing Silkies]

She has 2 that pip & peeping going on Its getting dark & cold so I dont want to keep goning in & out the house ( heat lights are on ) I update tomorrow as to what we have soooo happy, theres no way she started sitting on the on the 8th ( I wrote it down ) she fooled me

 

[MaineChick]

Good luck! I bet they'll be just fine. I had a hen hatch eggs on what was, according to my best calculations, 23 1/2 days. All happy healthy babies, and I was THIS CLOSE to throwing them out when they hatched!

 

[Seeing Silkies]

not good, i did my am thing did not mess with & thought I would catch her off the nest with little chicks be side her.... well i cought her off the nest no chick near her so i went to see what was in the nest box.. 1 chick was dead 1/2 out of the shell, the chick that hatched out last night was dead with blood on its head like she pecked it & her 3 other eggs had large pips & the were dry up inside but still alive.. I cleared out her box brought the 3 in & am playing dr mom.. dont know how this will turn out... I dont think I will let he hatch eggs again. So sad 4 of her eggs were clear, so sad I will up date

 

[pgpoultry]

I hope that you manage to get three healthy chicks out of this. The rookie momma hen doesn't always get it right first time, but she'll probably be a great mum in the future.