Silkie buried eggs

[Talerconrad]

I have a silkie who recently went broody (sitting on her eggs, staying in the coop and not roaming with the other hens, tucking her egg back beneath her when I try to take it) but we don’t have a rooster to fertilize her eggs so we bought her a dozen fertilized silkie eggs. I gave them to her this morning and left her in the coop by herself, but she buried them completely with bedding in a nest and left them. She is currently walking around and not sitting on them. Does this mean she doesn’t want them? How long can they sit like that before I need to incubate them?

 

[chickens really]

Definitely I'd set her up in a Brooder area if she actually is Broody. Give her a nest with eggs and leave her to set them.
If she won't then tomorrow incubation in the incubator is needed.

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

X2 Welcome to BYC!!! Glad you could join the Flock! Let me know if you need anything!

 

[MelissaRose]

How long has she been off the nest? She probably buried them to keep them warm while she was off. Is she clucking and/or kind of puffed up while she is off the nest now?

 

[Talerconrad]

How long has she been off the nest? She probably buried them to keep them warm while she was off. Is she clucking and/or kind of puffed up while she is off the nest now?

She is definitely clucking and puffed up. She ended up getting back on the nest and setting for a while, but then I found her outside of the coop with the other hens and the eggs were left uncovered. Is that normal?

 

[MelissaRose]

She is definitely clucking and puffed up. She ended up getting back on the nest and setting for a while, but then I found her outside of the coop with the other hens and the eggs were left uncovered. Is that normal?

As long as she goes back it is probably ok. Broody hens will get up to eat, drink, dust bathe, etc. I would just watch and make sure she goes back every time. How long does she spend off the nest?

 

[CluckNDoodle]

Broodies can be indecisive for up to a week, occasionally longer. They will try out different boxes, sit for different periods of time but not stay, it's perfectly normal in the beginning. I usually wait until my broodies seem really committed now before I give them eggs but depending on the hen they will still get up 1-3 times a day for short periods of time to eat, drink, and poop. My first broody got up 3 times every day without fail, my second broody actually didn't get off the nest for days in a row and when she did get up it was only once a day, on warm afternoons, she was very committed (I brought her food and water daily on the nest because she stressed me out when she wouldn't get up, lol).
Just keep an eye on her and if she isn't going back to sit on the eggs, you may need to put them in an incubator, even if it's temporary until she commits to sitting. Good luck!

 

[Talerconrad]

She did go back to them and set on them all night, but I don’t have her separated and one of my other hens kicked her off her nest this morning and she left them and let them get chilled
Is it worth putting them in an incubator at this point or are they a lost hope?

As long as she goes back it is probably ok. Broody hens will get up to eat, drink, dust bathe, etc. I would just watch and make sure she goes back every time. How long does she spend off the nest?

 

[wyoDreamer]

I would think that the eggs probably didn't have time to get warm and start developing in the short time she sat on them. It was just overnight, right?
I would put them in the incubator and give it a go. Give her some golf balls or fake eggs to sit on while you incubate. If she is still broody when they hatch, tuck them under her at night and she will get to raise the chicks for you.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

She did go back to them and set on them all night, but I don’t have her separated and one of my other hens kicked her off her nest this morning and she left them and let them get chilled
Is it worth putting them in an incubator at this point or are they a lost hope?

I had some eggs get ice cold in the winter because the broody got confused and wasn't sitting on them at night for several hours. It will reduce your hatch rate but they are definitely not a lost cause! I'm with wyoDreamer, that's a good plan.
I actually have a broody Leghorn sitting on fake eggs outside right now and fertilized eggs in the incubator because she can't seem to remember which box to go back to after eating and drinking even though she's fully broody. So I'm going to put the eggs under her on hatch day.