Possible hatchlings?? Help! Advice?!

[Sassy-ChikN Mom]

So my little silkie Roos have been ‘hanging out’ A LOT with one of my silkie hens. She has now become super broody, but kept leaving the nest box and abandoning the eggs, so I started taking them and moving them under a Larger hen that has gone SUPER SUPER broody.

she is currently sitting on 5 silkie eggs. I am so new to having fertilized eggs as I’ve always started with chicks. I did the candle test on them tonight and I saw an air sac & blood vessels in 4 of the 5.

now my momma nerves are setting in. I just bought an incubator a few weeks ago, but have yet to set it up. My questions are:

1. did I do anything to mess up the egg development by clumsily doing the candle test? Like should I have held them a certain way?

2. Is there a certain flashlight that should be used? I used a generic LED household flashlight

3. should I leave the eggs under my broody surrogate momma? Or move them to the incubator?

4. How often should I check the eggs for viability?

thanks in advance! I’m an excited ball of nerves… if that makes sense. LOL

 

[Chicken poppy]

So my little silkie Roos have been ‘hanging out’ A LOT with one of my silkie hens. She has now become super broody, but kept leaving the nest box and abandoning the eggs, so I started taking them and moving them under a Larger hen that has gone SUPER SUPER broody.

she is currently sitting on 5 silkie eggs. I am so new to having fertilized eggs as I’ve always started with chicks. I did the candle test on them tonight and I saw an air sac & blood vessels in 4 of the 5.

now my momma nerves are setting in. I just bought an incubator a few weeks ago, but have yet to set it up. My questions are:

1. did I do anything to mess up the egg development by clumsily doing the candle test? Like should I have held them a certain way?

2. Is there a certain flashlight that should be used? I used a generic LED household flashlight

3. should I leave the eggs under my broody surrogate momma? Or move them to the incubator?

4. How often should I check the eggs for viability?

thanks in advance! I’m an excited ball of nerves… if that makes sense. LOL

Hey! Id love to help as much as possible, as im decently experinced with this type of thing!
1. nono, dont be to worried. Candling is delicate, but that is truly later on developed, you dont want to shake them around a bunch, the fat side should be down and the skinny at the top

2. No, flashlights arent bad or anything, you need them very bright to get into the shell

3. it can depend, i think id leave them there, its easier that way in my opinion, if you do decide to put them in incubation, it takes time. And do it sooner then later. Before lockdown (day 17 or so)

4. i typically candle them every week or so, dont do it to often (not that its bad, its just more chances of dropping them and such, and its best for nature to take its time!)

and you should be! Congratulations on this! It sounds very exciting, just ask if you have any more questions, im happy to awnser the best i can!

 

[Chicken poppy]

So my little silkie Roos have been ‘hanging out’ A LOT with one of my silkie hens. She has now become super broody, but kept leaving the nest box and abandoning the eggs, so I started taking them and moving them under a Larger hen that has gone SUPER SUPER broody.

she is currently sitting on 5 silkie eggs. I am so new to having fertilized eggs as I’ve always started with chicks. I did the candle test on them tonight and I saw an air sac & blood vessels in 4 of the 5.

now my momma nerves are setting in. I just bought an incubator a few weeks ago, but have yet to set it up. My questions are:

1. did I do anything to mess up the egg development by clumsily doing the candle test? Like should I have held them a certain way?

2. Is there a certain flashlight that should be used? I used a generic LED household flashlight

3. should I leave the eggs under my broody surrogate momma? Or move them to the incubator?

4. How often should I check the eggs for viability?

thanks in advance! I’m an excited ball of nerves… if that makes sense. LOL

Also, is this your first time incubating (If you do it) and caring for eggs? If so, this must be super exciting (it was for me) and i would be more then happy to help if i can.

 

[Tonyroo]

You might want to calibrate your incubator to make sure it's at the right temperature and humidity. Just incase you need to use it.

 

[Sassy-ChikN Mom]

Hey! Id love to help as much as possible, as im decently experinced with this type of thing!
1. nono, dont be to worried. Candling is delicate, but that is truly later on developed, you dont want to shake them around a bunch, the fat side should be down and the skinny at the top

2. No, flashlights arent bad or anything, you need them very bright to get into the shell

3. it can depend, i think id leave them there, its easier that way in my opinion, if you do decide to put them in incubation, it takes time. And do it sooner then later. Before lockdown (day 17 or so)

4. i typically candle them every week or so, dont do it to often (not that its bad, its just more chances of dropping them and such, and its best for nature to take its time!)

and you should be! Congratulations on this! It sounds very exciting, just ask if you have any more questions, im happy to awnser the best i can!

@Chicken poppy oh gosh!! Thank you so. So much! I swear it feels like when I had my first born! Like they are made of glass and you’re just sure you’re going to mess up somehow!

I didn’t know how to hold them when I candled them, so I just held them in the same horizontal position I picked them up in.

since this is my first time having fertilized eggs, I may just leave them under Big Momma. She’s doing a great job so far and is very, very protective!

one last question: should I be worried if she leaves the nesting box for long stretches of time? I know she has to eat and drink, so I put a bowl of food and a bowl of water in the run below her. But should she be out free ranging for long stretches of time?

If it helps, I live in Central Texas and it’s been 89-99 since she started sitting on them

 

[Chicken poppy]

You might want to calibrate your incubator to make sure it's at the right temperature and humidity. Just incase you need to use it.

Yes, thats always a good idea, i find using a broody hen is much easier then a incubator, but there isnt to big of a difference

 

[Sassy-ChikN Mom]

Also, is this your first time incubating (If you do it) and caring for eggs? If so, this must be super exciting (it was for me) and i would be more then happy to help if i can.

Yes first for everything!!! I’ve always started m with chicks I bought privately or from a feed store etc…

 

[Chicken poppy]

@Chicken poppy oh gosh!! Thank you so. So much! I swear it feels like when I had my first born! Like they are made of glass and you’re just sure you’re going to mess up somehow!

I didn’t know how to hold them when I candled them, so I just held them in the same horizontal position I picked them up in.

since this is my first time having fertilized eggs, I may just leave them under Big Momma. She’s doing a great job so far and is very, very protective!

one last question: should I be worried if she leaves the nesting box for long stretches of time? I know she has to eat and drink, so I put a bowl of food and a bowl of water in the run below her. But should she be out free ranging for long stretches of time?

If it helps, I live in Central Texas and it’s been 89-99 since she started sitting on them

No problem! I can relate to that! Its so delicate and seems so easy to mess up (but their a lot more strong then it seems like!)

that seems about right, they should be in the right position already, so thats fine! You did the right thing, and i would to! Leaving it under the mama is a easier and natural choice. In my opinion

And i dont personally think they should be out a bunch, but its not to bad if she does, they typically know what their doing. If this is her first time she could be a bit rusty on it all, but im sure it will go fine (if its just 5 minutes or so, thats alright!

Okay! So its not to cold there at all, so thats MUCH less worrying! Also, she is a silkie, they are amazing mothers, calm breeds, and very fluffy which helps warm the eggs! Again, best of luck! And im happy to awnser any questions whatsoever.
ps, During my first time, i candled them a lot (which i probably shouldnt have haha) and it made no difference, they turned out perfectly fine! But i just would recommend not doing it to much.

 

[Chicken poppy]

Yes first for everything!!! I’ve always started m with chicks I bought privately or from a feed store etc…

this experince will be amazing then! Waking up one day seeing chicks climbing about the mama with little peeps. Also another exciting thing. During the end period, youll hear the eggs peep! You know their almost ready then! The eggs usually take around 21 days to hatch, many people recommend throwing out the eggs at 23 days, which i do not recommend at all my bantom hatched at 23 days, she was a late hatcher, if their a bit late, its probsbly fine to! And make sure to not candle them at and past day 17, this is lockdown for them and you can hurt the chick (because their coming out at this point) sorry If im being confusing

 

[Sassy-ChikN Mom]

No problem! I can relate to that! Its so delicate and seems so easy to mess up (but their a lot more strong then it seems like!)

that seems about right, they should be in the right position already, so thats fine! You did the right thing, and i would to! Leaving it under the mama is a easier and natural choice. In my opinion

And i dont personally think they should be out a bunch, but its not to bad if she does, they typically know what their doing. If this is her first time she could be a bit rusty on it all, but im sure it will go fine (if its just 5 minutes or so, thats alright!

Okay! So its not to cold there at all, so thats MUCH less worrying! Also, she is a silkie, they are amazing mothers, calm breeds, and very fluffy which helps warm the eggs! Again, best of luck! And im happy to awnser any questions whatsoever.
ps, During my first time, i candles them a lot (which i probsbly shouldnt have haha) and it made no difference, they turned out perfectly fine! But i just would recommend not doing it to much.

I forgot to mention, my surrogate momma hen is a gold laced Wyandotte. Apparently my silkie hen, who lates the eggs, didn’t get the memo on being a good mom. Once I figured out she was laying fertilized eggs (accidentally cracked one open), I started watching and observing her more. She would literally lay an egg, then leave it completely! She’s actually go to another box or spot and lay another!
That’s when I started taking them and putting under my GL Wyandotte