Ksane, here's my experience with silkies raising their own chicks. I like to raise them in family groups when I can, but now the quality (and cost to me) of my birds is such that I find I need to use brooders and raise them separately for their safety. Some of the dads are great with babes, as are some of the moms. However, they'd probably be much safer if only one hen were involved with the chicks and the chicks all hatch in one or two days. My silkies are so INTENT on hatching eggs, they often ignore the chicks as they hatch, or throw them out of the nest. Some, especially first time moms, will actually kill the chicks or will remove the "noisy" chicks or eggs from the nest, which causes the pipped chick to chill and die. I'm pretty sure they don't at first understand that these noisy beings are what they've been working on for so long.Two moms will sometimes work out well, but partly because their eggs hatch on staggered days, they can't always decide whether to raise the chicks or continue to brood the eggs. Two will often fight over the eggs, rolling them under themselves when one gets up to eat or drink. They'll do the same when the chicks hatch, which often ends up in smashed or ignored chicks. I also cannot keep my pens clean enough to feel secure about letting these fragile babes stay with the parents. I haven't yet worked out feed and water dishes that don't get almost immediately filled with detritus as the moms scratch around to show the babes how to find food.
Gritsar, I also wish I could help out with a companion for dragon, but since I've had the knee replacement surgery, I've not hatched the number of chicks I usually do, and am now pretty well down to the very best of my birds. I do have a few youngsters, but they're not yet at the stage I can decide which ones I'll use in my own breeding program and which ones are extras. I will probably have some to sell at the show and sale at Pryor in early March, and may even have a few pet quality, but I guess that's not soon enough to be of help.
She's got handicapped birds also and loves them. I'd chip in for shipping if we could find you a bird!
