Silkie hen hatching pheasant eggs-will it work?

[Tony K T]

This is true.I should of been clearer in my answer.As soon as the chicks hatch out,put them in a brooder without mom.Mom should be in a pen or cage where the chicks can not run off when they hatch.
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[Riffecreek]

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Maybe I worry too much. but IMO, the moment the chick pips the egg, it is in contact with the hen. I wouldn't put these chicks in with other hatched chicks for at least 30 days if they were mine.

 

[Tony K T]

They do not pick up anything immediately.I takes a little time,so letting chickens hatch is okay as long as you take the chicks away.
in N.H.,Tony.

 

[philter4]

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This is the second year I have raised pheasant chicks and although they can't fly away, at 3 or 4 days they will take off and fly about 6 to 10 feet and if they are outside they will be very hard to catch, I lost 2 last year when I was cleaning their brooding pen, they just took off and I couldn't catch them. It may not be true sustained flight, but the end result is the same, lost chicks. With my jungle fowl by 2 weeks they can fly a lot further and have fully feathered wings.

 

[OzawkieBantams]

I would listen to Tony. A friend of mine uses silkies and as soon as they as she says is lock down she throws them in a bator to finish the hatch the straight to the brooder. Even my friend says they take off as soon as they are dry.

 

[JJMR794]

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RIFFE CREEK YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT IN MY OPINION BUT I AM TIRED OF RAGING AGAINST THE MACHINE AND FIGHTING CITY HALL

.... WANNA SET YOUR BUTTON QUAIL EGGS UNDER YOUR 120 POUND PLATYPUS? GO AHEAD...

 

[Riffecreek]

JJMR, I would feel the same way as you if it wasn't for one thing that most doesn't realize! (I'm pretty sure you do!)

All it takes is ONE mistake.. and you are starting all over again.. Some things chickens carry, most of the times without any symptoms at all, can wipe out your entire flock of game birds.. Even if it doesn't kill them all, they are carriers now too, and pass it along to any others they come in contact with.. That's right, even 3 years from now!! Some can even be passed from adult to chicks through the eggs...... so if it starts, they all must dye in some cases!

Now why would I care if you just wiped out most of your flock?? Well, if it is some of the more serous diseases that can be passed from parent to chick, anyone could easily get it in their birds from egg swaps, buying eggs, and so on.. while your birds show no symptoms, they still pass it along.

Most people think eggs are a "safe" way to introduce birds to their flock, but there is NOTHING 100% fail safe unless everything is kept apart until proper "testing" can be done.
I start those chicks in a brooder all by their self, and introduce birds from my flock at about 8 weeks of age.. if nothing happens, they are most usually safe.. If I see problems with disease, they are GONE!!

 

[JJMR794]

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WELL SAID AND 100% TRUE IN MY EXPERIENCE... I WAS GUILTY OF THIS AT 1 POINT IN TIME,,, LEARNED THEY HARD WAY. NOW I SIMPLY DONT DO IT