Set eggs 4/6, EDD 4/27 & 4/28...wanna hatch with me??

[loopy12]

Amy: I don't know. I never moved a broody late on.
I would say try moving her now, and keep a very close eye on her so if it fails she hasn't abandoned the eggs during lockdown.
As for the other bator eggs, I have the same - 2 under Buffy and 10 in the bator. I am planning on slipping them all under her at lockdown but you could do that or put half under her at lockdown and hatch the other 5 and put them under her as they hatch, or hatch all yourself and slip them under her as her two hatch.
I think they are gullible during hatching so will accept whatever you slip under them (as long as a new chick) and will presume it came out from under them...
I'd do half and half if it was me I think, covers your bases then.

How are your easter chicks?
Mine went outside yesterday most of the day as it was lovely and sunny (in large dog cage on the grass, with heat lamp). They ignored the heatlamp, certainly no huddling and chased bugs all day

But, oh my, they are sooooo tired today all they've done is sleep.

I've switched off their heatlamp, its fairly warm in the kitchen, will see how they do.

 

[TXmom]

Sorry...I was slow in posting, then there were more posts and it got confusing...LOL.

Anyways, I would probably leave them until tonight, then candle tonight. If they don't look right, remove them.

 

[wyo-helpmeet]

I should have mentioned I did candle Thu & they seemed liquidy. I did again yesterday since I was already fairly certain they were.

 

[loopy12]

Michaela: candle them if you like, remove if duds. My broodies have always abandoned any eggs about 48 hours after the first chick hatches. They just kick 'em out the nest and get up and start teaching the chicks to eat and scratch. You could just wait. Up to you...

 

[TXmom]

Quote:
If they didn't look dark and full, then you should probably go ahead and remove them now...let her be the mommy she wants to be and take care of the chicks now

My Sammie is up walking around, scratching around, showing the babies where the food is...it's AWESOME! I took the Layena out and just put Start and Grow in there, so even Sammie is eating chick food now.

 

[wyo-helpmeet]

Quote:
Oh yay! You're talking to me! ROFL (I was confused earlier, too, LOL).

That's a relief then to know. I'll leave them, and I'll prob move the heat lamp closer to the box in case it happens again tonight. I'm just not confident being outdoors that it'll be warm enough, but I figure it's better than nothing. My biggest concern is her being a hatchery chick & not knowing what to do, though she's been fantastic so far, with the exception of the lost chick. She hatched the first one Saturday evening, so this evening or first thing in the morning she should *hopefully* take them out, right?

 

[wyo-helpmeet]

Consider this a big thank you card to all of you:

THANK YOU!!!!

 

[raimnel]

I think tonight my silkie and her nest goes into the brooder, I'm still going to keep her with those 2 eggs though, but I'm going to stuff the new ones under her. Hopfully all goes well. Now I gotta get my .....Butt away from this computer and do some rearranging.

or maybe

:O) my Easter hatch is doing good except that one EE that just up and died on me for no reason!

, it's too chilly here to put them outside (under 60 and rained yesterday). their who I gotta rearrange. I had them in this huge brooder that my DH made but I couldn't get those temps up there so I moved them into a smaller brooder (that my DH made for me). now I'm moving them back into the bigger one and putting my silkie, her eggs and the soon to be's in there....... you want me to continue? I'm getting a shipment come may 12thish. so everyone is gonna get rearranged again.

good grief, I am so not doing this next year..... I'm getting overwhelmed just thinking about it all.

I do how ever love those duckies

, I just don't know what kind I like better. I've never looked at the different kinds either, I'm ignoring that thought!

oh and another Q? should I put a heat light over the brooder with the silkie?? now, with just eggs? or later when theres chicks? or not at all??

and TXmom is it ok for the broody to eat chick feed? or should I put some of her food in there also??

Too many Q's!!!!

 

[wyo-helpmeet]

Quote:
oo oo this one I can answer! She can eat chick food. The folks here (and some google searches) told me that starter was good for the broody with the extra protein since she wouldn't eat much. She still needs that extra protein to gain her strength back & since she won't be laying for a few more weeks, the protein is more important that the calcium.

 

[TXmom]

Yes, the chick food is fine for the Broody. If you put Layer food with the chicks, they might eat that instead of Chick starter, and that's not good for them. Too much Calcium can be harmful.

I wouldn't put a heat lamp with the Broody at all...her body heat will keep the eggs and chicks warm. There is no heat lamp out in my Broody House, even during the cool nights, and all the chickies are doing great!