Silkies showing no signs of life

[Silkiemum2019]

So sweet. Is the chick under the broody now?

Yep! It’s so active and loud!

 

[Silkiemum2019]

Yay! Congratulations!

Thanks so much!

 

[FortCluck]

Yay

 

[ValerieJ]

Yep! It’s so active and loud!

That is so awesome!!! Will you get it any brooding mates?

 

[Silkiemum2019]

That is so awesome!!! Will you get it any brooding mates?

Not sure yet but probably!

 

[FortCluck]

I'm so glad one actually came out!

 

[SPetty]

Now that you trust her to take a clutch to term, take a hands off approach from start to finish, especially at the end. This one ended fairly well but trillions of hens have successfully hatched eggs without human intervention.

Yeah, mama knows. We had an unexpected brood of 18(!!!) chicks come out from under the house one time.

We also helped a pipping egg hatch one time. Would never recommend that because our experience was that it was so deformed it couldn't get itself out. My feeling is that if it can't make its own way out, it wasn't intended to be out.

 

[lifein1840]

ive never heard of it taking longer with a broody

My chicks usually hatch on day 20 under a broody....never used an incubator.

 

[lifein1840]

Okay guys, our broody kept pushing one out and we candelled it ands couldn’t see a lot but there were little dots of liquid on the outside plus it smelled quite bad. Does this mean the others are bad too? What should we do? Thanks

If the broody kicks the egg out of the nest, it's most likely bad.

 

[lifein1840]

No bad smell from the nest is a good sign! Sometimes when you use a broody hen instead of an incubator it can take longer for the eggs to reach proper incubation temp. Without candling it's really hard to tell, but if nothing is exploded or rotten then I would definitely say wait. After a few days if nothing has changed then you might want to investigate. As @PirateGirl mentioned it won't hurt to candle an egg.

I only hatch with broody hens and the eggs usually hatch on day 20. It doesn't take longer under a hen.