Silkie Hen sitting on first batch of eggs... what now?

jjaazzy

Songster
12 Years
Mar 2, 2013
452
160
241
Davie, Fl
So I have 1 Silkie rooster and 2 Silkie hens. One hen just turned 1 and started laying eggs. I went on vacation for a week and let her keep her eggs while I was gone. She now has 6 eggs under her and 3 of them are developing. So since she lives with the other two chickens what now? Should I pull them when it's time to hatch, do I let her keep them and let them hatch and live in this enclosure? Once they hatch do I move them to a brooder box? Should I be concerned about the other two hurting them. I think they are at different stages of development right now... at least that's what it looked like when I candled them last.
They are in a 4 1/2 x 5 foot enclosure with wood chips, she laid the eggs in the corner so they are on the vinyl floor surrounded by wood chips I will add more chips but don't want to disturb her. She is very dedicated and I am afraid she has stopped eating what can I do to help her? we put food in front of her and she didn't want it....Also I have eggs in the incubator so if you tell me to pull them once hatched I could put them together easily.... thanks!
 
You should place the hen in a safe place where the other hens can't harm them once they hatch, it's better to let the hen hatch them than the incubator, and if they are at different stages you can always put the ones that haven't hatched in the incubator to finish hatching
 
ok so she needs a condo of her own. So if I do that and some hatch and others don't you are saying I should pull the eggs and let them hatch the rest of the way in the incubator or should I pull the chicks and put them with the other chicks and let her continue to sit on the late ones. Guess I will be shopping for a new condo this weekend either way....
 
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Yes pull the eggs and let them hatch the rest of the way in the incubator and once they hatch you can introduce them to her to see if she will take them in
 
I am having a hard time following you, first you said let the hen hatch them, then you said pull the eggs.
 
Let the hen hatch them and once the chicks hatch pull out the eggs that haven't hatched and put them in the incubator
 

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