OK, What Would YOU Do?

[wbruder17]

I will try to make this as short as possible:

I have a Silkie, she is my hatching machine. I was waiting for goose eggs to come in the mail, and they took over a week, rather than 3 days. I didn't think they would come, so I gave my Machine 7 Eggs 2 days ago. I just got the goose eggs today.

I have a first time EE, who just went broody today. She is sitting on rock eggs, waiting for the decision:

My Silkie will sit FOREVER until something hatches. I don't know about the EE.

1. Should I trade out the Silkie's 7, give them to the EE, and give the goose eggs to the Silkie? She can set for a month, I've seen it.

2. I don't know if the EE would set for over a month for the goose eggs, and I would hate for her to quit the eggs.

3. I know the Silkie won't care what I do, as long as she has eggs.

WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

I'm sure you can tell which way I am leaning....

 

[stephanie1992]

I will try to make this as short as possible:
I have a Silkie, she is my hatching machine. I was waiting for goose eggs to come in the mail, and they took over a week, rather than 3 days. I didn't think they would come, so I gave my Machine 7 Eggs 2 days ago. I just got the goose eggs today.
I have a first time EE, who just went broody today. She is sitting on rock eggs, waiting for the decision:
My Silkie will sit FOREVER until something hatches. I don't know about the EE.
1. Should I trade out the Silkie's 7, give them to the EE, and give the goose eggs to the Silkie? She can set for a month, I've seen it.
2. I don't know if the EE would set for over a month for the goose eggs, and I would hate for her to quit the eggs.
3. I know the Silkie won't care what I do, as long as she has eggs.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
I'm sure you can tell which way I am leaning....

hmmm id put all the eggs under the silkie for now. and 3 days before the others are suppose to hatch id move them to the EE

 

[wbruder17]

I don't understand what you mean... the EE needs to have some eggs to set, and the Silkie can't hold anymore eggs under her, let alone 2 huge goose eggs. Its either give all 7 of the Silkie eggs to the EE and give the Silkie the goose eggs, or give the EE a shot at setting for a month.

I COULD give the goose eggs to the EE for 3 weeks until the chicken eggs are about to hatch from under the Silkie, then switch them, but I don't think that would be as easy as just switching them all now, so I'm kin d of against this option.

 

[wbruder17]

what I wanted to do in the first place, was give the goose eggs to the silkie, then add some chicken eggs a week later into the mix to have them all hatch at the same time. I know my Silkie Machine and her hatching behaviors very well, and I think I will still give my first option a shot. Give the 7 eggs to the EE, give the goose eggs to the Machine, and then give her 3 more chicken eggs a week later for a hatch of goose and chicken at the same time. I think Silkie mama would do better with this than first timer EE. I want to hatch as many as possible using the hens I have. I don't use an incubator.

 

[kathyinmo]

Give them both some.

 

[srpaint]

I would give goose eggs to the silkie. You know she will sit. No clue what the EE will do.

 

[2hot2chicken]

sounds like you need a bator

I finally broke down n bought 1..... I know where you are at. I got tired of there never having a broody when I wanted 1 and them always going broody when I don't want them to. That and I only have 1 silkie hen thats a good relieable broody. She will always return to her nest and never leave the coop, just a quick drink and bite to eat then back. All my other hens even the silkies I got tired of babysitting their eggs. They were always playing musical nest and leaving their eggs to go to another nest or forgetting where they left their eggs or deciding they wanted to give up after 2 weeks or so and leaving me with dead eggs......

 

[Ilovemyduckies]

If you put them under there two days ago I don't think it would be a big deal to put them under her. I had a duck start laying on 6 black eggs, and two days later gave her 3 of the white eggs from a nest one of my ducks had hidden. They actually all hatched early. I went out of town for a few days. I came back and she had hatched all the yellow ones and 5 out of 6 of the black eggs. (I had expected for the ones that she started laying on first to hatch a day after I came back, but 8 had hatched by the time I came back). If you are worried about doing this then maybe you can put it under a different broody hen (if you have one).