My cousin found some wild Ring Necked Pheasant eggs in the woods on Mother's Day or maybe the day before. He kept them warm in a shoe box until I came over to get them on Mother's Day (May 11th). He knew I had an incubator going at that time, but it was actually horrible timing, because my chicks were pipping on that day, and opening the incubator several times a day to turn the new eggs would have been fatal to my others.
But, I had an Australorp that had been incubating a golf ball for almost a week, so I put the eggs under her. I candled them and there was nothing there, but I thought I'd give it a shot.
Well, she sat on them for about a week, and I actually started seeing veins in them. She gradually gave up on them, but I just so happened to have my Silkie go broody just as the Australorp was giving up.
Even though the Silkie gets a little confused every couple days and switches nests to sit on some freshly laid eggs, I put the pheasant ones back under her and all seems to be going well. I've candled them a couple times, including tonight, and they are definitely moving around in there! It's been 17 days, and the babies are almost taking up the whole egg, but I can see them move around in there.
I was doubtful, but I think it might actually work!
My question is:
Will these pheasant chicks just fly off once they are old enough, or do you think they will stick around with my flock, since my Silkie will be raising them?
But, I had an Australorp that had been incubating a golf ball for almost a week, so I put the eggs under her. I candled them and there was nothing there, but I thought I'd give it a shot.
Well, she sat on them for about a week, and I actually started seeing veins in them. She gradually gave up on them, but I just so happened to have my Silkie go broody just as the Australorp was giving up.
Even though the Silkie gets a little confused every couple days and switches nests to sit on some freshly laid eggs, I put the pheasant ones back under her and all seems to be going well. I've candled them a couple times, including tonight, and they are definitely moving around in there! It's been 17 days, and the babies are almost taking up the whole egg, but I can see them move around in there.
I was doubtful, but I think it might actually work!
My question is:
Will these pheasant chicks just fly off once they are old enough, or do you think they will stick around with my flock, since my Silkie will be raising them?
