Silkie Holiday Hatch-a-long

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Maybe she just got confused about which nest was hers?
When mine sit, I try real hard to make sure I keep the other eggs collected. My Silkies are ditzy and seem to just sit on the first eggs they see. I would've just popped them back under her....

But they'll likely be ok. I've seen my broodies up eating and drinking when their eggs have been pipped (and they hatched just fine).

 

[flocknfoal]

Maybe she just got confused about which nest was hers?
When mine sit, I try real hard to make sure I keep the other eggs collected. My Silkies are ditzy and seem to just sit on the first eggs they see. I would've just popped them back under her....

But they'll likely be ok. I've seen my broodies up eating and drinking when their eggs have been pipped (and they hatched just fine).

That's pretty much what I figured - she got up to eat, drink, poo and when she came back she sat on the first eggs she saw. I would have just moved her back onto them if I thought it'd been just a little while, but the eggs were so cold, I figured it'd been hours and that there was no way at that stage the chicks could have survived being that cold for that long.

One of them hatched and looks good so far. I can't tell if it's black or dark blue yet. The other is still working on it, but it appears to be making progress. I'm amazed!

So, at what point can / should I put them back out there with the hen? Also, I'll have more chicks in a week. If I add more to her nest a week later will she adopt them in and care for them? I do have a brooder available and ready to go, but I'd like to put the ones I'm planning to keep with her and the ones I'm planning to sell into the brooder.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

If you give them back to her, try doing it at night when they're fluffy and dry, and make sure you check on them early the next morning to be sure everything is alright.
I'm not sure I'd add the chicks from the second batch. You can try, but be very watchful and grab them up quick if she decides she doesn't want them.

 

[KV Silkies]

Anyone ever have a silkie hen quit setting at the last minute? I have this sweet little white girl that has been setting some eggs for 3 weeks. 3 of the five were duds but the other two were due to hatch tomorrow. I went to check on her today, and she was sitting in a different nest box on some new / just laid eggs. I couldn't believer it! She's only 10 months old but has been doing a beautiful job until today. I grabbed the eggs - both cold - ugh! I run inside and candled them, no movement, but the incubator was already running as I have about a dozen in there on day 7, so I figured what could it hurt to drop them in there and see what happens. We were on our way out the door and were gone most of the afternoon. When I got home, to my shock, both eggs have pipped! Since I was about to leave and didn't think they had a chance, I'd just set them on the turning rack, but when I saw that they'd pipped I quickly pulled out two rows of racks to make room and laid them on the wire. Don't know if they'll make it after all that, but at least one of them was chirping a bit ago. Wild ride!

that is very cool that they are doing ok still! hoping they hatch great for ya!

 

[flocknfoal]

Well, they are both hatched and doing well.

I'm still amazed!

 

[jorey]

Yea !!!!!!

 

[TwinArrowsFarm]

One of my silkies pipped! ! e

 

[flocknfoal]

One of my silkies pipped! !

Hooray!

 

[jorey]

Yea for pipps !!! Well as of this morning I jave two out. Had to help first out as it was very shrinkwrapped so I guess I had humidity issues. When I got home from work yesterday I camdeled all of them after helping the one. All had internally pipped. Could see triangle shape in airsack moving so I externally pipped them. All were shrinkwrapped. So I removed more shell and wrapped in moist papertowels and put back into bator so veins could empty and yolk could absorb. One finished over night and is running in bator. The others are still peeping so after a cup of coffee I ll open up and see how the veins look and help where needed. Definately have to do humidity different next time. I ll update after a while. Oh I had two that were moving but hadn't pipped yet so I ll recandle those at the same time I'm working on others. Good morning all.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

How are your eggs doing now jorey?