Real, real newby question

[ecp007]

So we just got 2 Silkie hens yesterday. I've never had chickens before.

They were previously at a breeders. When they got dropped off, one of the hens was missing a few feathers, and the breeder said that was because the rooster had been messing / mating with her.

So today, she lays an egg, and my son said, "Mom, what if that egg has a chick, because she was with a rooster yesterday??" And I don't really need the egg, and it would be really cool to hatch a baby chicck. So we left the egg in the egg box, and wouldn't you know, she immediately sat on it!

Now what?!?!!? It's pretty cold outside in the 40's, is there any chance at all that this egg could actually hatch?

A girl can always dream, can't she???

Interested in your thoughts and advice, TIA!
Carmen

 

[Kessel23]

If she was mated with in the past week then the egg is most likely fertile. There is a difference between sitting and going broody though. If she has actually gone broody then she will have a good chance of incubating, hatching, and brooding a chick even when it's only 40F out.

 

[ecp007]

Thanks for the response! What's the difference between "sitting" and "going broody"????

 

[Kessel23]

Broody is when the hormones in a hen prepare it to incubate eggs, and then the hen will set eggs, hatch chicks, and brood the babies. Sitting on an egg doesn't really mean anything, hens will do it when they are getting ready to lay, and I had a silkie hen just do it to "do it" She would sit on the eggs for a few hours then get off for a few hours, not actually going broody until a few weeks later. Chickens don't instantly go broody, it usually takes a few days to really know for sure. Chickens will stop laying when they are broody and will only leave the nest once or twice a day to eat, they will also only poop once or twice a day when they leave the nest. Broody hens will also make a clucking noise and puff up their feathers. It is really easy to pick a broody hen out of a flock.

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

Quite possibly fertile... I guess you'll just have to wait and see!

 

[gimmie birdies]

Hi Buttonquail!

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

Hi Buttonquail!

hi!