Old Fashioned Broody Hen Hatch A Long and Informational Thread

[stonykill]

Yes! Thats the best part! Then hopefully they will become broody again!!

that is the master plan!

 

[bobbieschicks]

So we were clearing the poarch off, and behind stored const stuff we find a bucket of roofing nails with a broody inside!,?.? Another one. Is this unusual at this time of year? Four broodies already and they are all less than a year old. Is mother nature making up for all the predator hits we've taken? I chalked up egg losses to a newly discovered egg eater, who will have to be culled and soon, but I guess she was only eating one a day. I had to move the broody to the coop behind rat wire, away from more eggs getting laid in there, I also, moved the eggs into a sodded nesting box...she came off the nest and ate and everything, went back on now she's off again.....did I break her...I wonder? It can't be more than two days being broody, I counted her on the roost night before last...just couldn't leave her exposed on the poarch, and those nails are really sharp ( with a little plastic ring) but still, 20 days of turning on those will prob scratch them good. I'm hoping now, in a dark secluded corner, and night coming on, she'll nest again...I'm going to try to post the pic...another surprise!!!!

Ouch. Hope she likes her new more comfy nest. Maybe she thought she should try acupuncture.

 

[bobbieschicks]

Yay, my broody project is successful! One of the chicks can be heard peeping through its egg. e

Then tell it to come on out! Haha! Congrats!

 

[bobbieschicks]

Sadly it seems the elusive dark egg layer eludes me again. Both maran eggs were quitters. The silkie egg was a nonstarter so Smokey knew what she was talking about. I think Topsy seemed relieved when I removed the remaining eggs from her. She immediately got up and started clucking for her two babies.

Now the real fun begins. Trying to figure out which silkies are cockerels and which are pullets. And trying to decide where everyone will fit and how many roos are sticking around.

Final count, Smokey has 4 new silky chicks and Topsy has 2 new silky chicks.

 

[perchie.girl]

Sadly it seems the elusive dark egg layer eludes me again. Both maran eggs were quitters. The silkie egg was a nonstarter so Smokey knew what she was talking about. I think Topsy seemed relieved when I removed the remaining eggs from her. She immediately got up and started clucking for her two babies.

Now the real fun begins. Trying to figure out which silkies are cockerels and which are pullets. And trying to decide where everyone will fit and how many roos are sticking around.

Final count, Smokey has 4 new silky chicks and Topsy has 2 new silky chicks.

Just how does one determine the sex of a Silky. outside of waiting for it to crow....?

Me needs a couple of Silky pullets.

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

So we were clearing the poarch off, and behind stored const stuff we find a bucket of roofing nails with a broody inside!,?.? Another one. Is this unusual at this time of year? Four broodies already and they are all less than a year old. Is mother nature making up for all the predator hits we've taken? I chalked up egg losses to a newly discovered egg eater, who will have to be culled and soon, but I guess she was only eating one a day. I had to move the broody to the coop behind rat wire, away from more eggs getting laid in there, I also, moved the eggs into a sodded nesting box...she came off the nest and ate and everything, went back on now she's off again.....did I break her...I wonder? It can't be more than two days being broody, I counted her on the roost night before last...just couldn't leave her exposed on the poarch, and those nails are really sharp ( with a little plastic ring) but still, 20 days of turning on those will prob scratch them good. I'm hoping now, in a dark secluded corner, and night coming on, she'll nest again...I'm going to try to post the pic...another surprise!!!!

Now thats just too dang cute.... Hatching on a bed of nails..... Wouldnt be a single mite growing in there either.

deb

 

[Tripp16]

Just how does one determine the sex of a Silky. outside of waiting for it to crow....?

Me needs a couple of Silky pullets.

deb

Oh how I long for the answer to this question... all I can say is the comb will sometimes get bigger but not always and the boys will get streamer around 4 or 5 months. It is quite annoying waiting to know if you have a hen or not. I hatched ten silkies 5 months ago I ended up with one hen when it was all said and done.

Good luck!

 

[bobbieschicks]

Just how does one determine the sex of a Silky.  outside of waiting for it to crow....?        Me needs a couple of Silky pullets.

deb

Sometimes you can tell by week 8 if they have rounded topknots that are well groomed looking they could be pullets. If they have streamers or spikes they could be roos. We guessed correctly the sex of our current silkies by attitude and hair styles.

 

[lisaequine1]

Are you certain of the length of time - maybe they are developed but not ready to hatch? Can you see any veins? If it's mostly dark I would leave them a couple more days and see what happens.

I am sure of the days and since I didn't see or hear anything in them, I went ahead and opened them. They were dead, fully formed other than absorbing the yoke. One had even pipped the shell.
Any ideas why two different hens would both lose the chicks right at the end?

 

[JoshU]

I am just sitting here waiting on my silkie Wilma to start laying again. She was a great momma and I cant wait to do it again. I had to sell her last two layer chicks that were her first hatch. She was not happy at all but there was no room for them to stay. I also realized that they were half the size of the other 10 that hatched the same day. Is it because they were out and about and not in a brooder or because they ate like a silkie(next to nothing)?