Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[bumpercarr]

Hi all! Jumping in to say hello partway through my silkie's brood Here she is!

she is the one in the far right corner on her nest.
the 2nd silkie on the roost isn't broody, although I did ask her kindly her nest is in the front left.



a peek at the eggs when my girl got up for a drink! sometimes silkie #2 keeps the nest warm for her while broody mama stretches her legs, eats and drinks. so cute!

questions:
1) do they look like silkies to you? or silkie cross perhaps? I am just wondering because they dont seem as fluffy as some other silkies

2) what do you think about 2 silkies co-mothering? the non-broody silkie is an experienced mother (2 clutches) so I hope that she will adopt chicks. everything I can find says they adopt chicks when broody, but what about non-broody? I am hoping to keep both mothers in with all the chicks but I am prepared to separate them if necessary

3) eggs are staggered.. egg 1 is 13 days, egg 2 is 11 days, egg 3 is 9 days, egg 4 is 7 days, egg 5, 6, 7,8 & 9 are 6 days!! that is 1 week in between 1st and last hatch. can anyone share experiences on staggered hatch? IE will she stay on until the bitter end, even with 4 little chickies scurrying about? >.<

They look like silkies to me. Also agree with other posts, leave the eggs and hatch out the rest in the bator if the first one doesn't take over when mama leaves the nest. It is possible that the non-broody silkie will adopt (or steal) the babies as soon as they hatch, so you may luck out and she'll stay on the nest.

 

[chickeneer45]

My new hen went broody and I currently have no adult roosters. She laid one egg the first day she got here so fingers crossed it is fertilized from her previous flock, but if it isn't this will just be a waste of time for my poor silkie hen. I don't have any eggs for her or chicks.

 

[MEMama3]

My new hen went broody and I currently have no adult roosters. She laid one egg the first day she got here so fingers crossed it is fertilized from her previous flock, but if it isn't this will just be a waste of time for my poor silkie hen. I don't have any eggs for her or chicks.

You can check out locals that sell farm fresh eggs. They may have roos in the flock. I spend $3 for eggs at the farm down the street and my girls have great hatch rates.

 

[oletymer]

I was peeking in on mom and low and behold they hatched there so odorable
theres another one under her wing and one more egg is pipped and should be hatching soon...

 

[fisherlady]

I was peeking in on mom and low and behold they hatched there so odorable
theres another one under her wing and one more egg is pipped and should be hatching soon...

Congrats!! They are adorable!

 

[CarolinaHen]

I was peeking in on mom and low and behold they hatched there so odorable
theres another one under her wing and one more egg is pipped and should be hatching soon...

Great picture of adorable chicks

 

[CarolinaHen]

Both of my Silkie girls went broody at the same time with one egg between the two of them. So........ I let them continue to sit on that one egg, then snuck them about 8 chicks that hatched from my incubator a few weeks later. I bet those girls had a heck of a time figuring out how all of those chicks came out of that one egg!

 

[oletymer]

OMG....

 

[bumpercarr]

Both of my Silkie girls went broody at the same time with one egg between the two of them. So........ I let them continue to sit on that one egg, then snuck them about 8 chicks that hatched from my incubator a few weeks later. I bet those girls had a heck of a time figuring out how all of those chicks came out of that one egg!

I can just see the looks on their faces!

 

[CarolinaHen]

I can just see the looks on their faces!

As soon as they start bringing the babies outside, I will get a pic of them all together. You will be amazed how many chicks can fit in just one little egg! LOL