Transferring eggs for incubation?

[Waqar4]

Hi,

I have a unique problem.

I have a 1 1/2 year old Silkie, who goes broody every couple of months. And since we don't have a rooster, we don't have fertile eggs.

So when I saw the Silkie going broody again couple of days back, I went and purchased a few fertile eggs for her to sit on and incubate. But she's not sitting on the eggs continuously. In fact she's off the eggs more often than on the eggs. I am guessing maybe because we're having really hot days (today it is 104 F!). I have to pick her up and make her sit on the eggs, then again in a couple of hours, she is getting off the eggs and out in the garden.

So since I really can't force her to be on the eggs for longer period of time, can I incubate the eggs in my Incubator for about 16 to 18 days, and then place the eggs under my Silkie for the last couple of days? The weather will be less hot by then, and she will sit on the eggs properly.

So my two questions;

Can I incubate eggs like this? Most of the days in the incubator and then transferring them under my chicken for the last couple of days?

If the Chicks do hatch under my Silkie, will she treat them as her own?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

You can do the incubator/silkie thing.
I suspect it may be due to your temperatures. Does she sit on the eggs at night? If so, perhaps she knows what she is doing.
104 is way too hot for incubation. She may know that they don't need any warmth from her.
Does she at least go in and turn eggs?
If she doesn't stay on them at night and turn them regularly, she is either not truly broody or not a good broody.

 

[Waqar4]

You can do the incubator/silkie thing.
I suspect it may be due to your temperatures. Does she sit on the eggs at night? If so, perhaps she knows what she is doing.
104 is way too hot for incubation. She may know that they don't need any warmth from her.
Does she at least go in and turn eggs?
If she doesn't stay on them at night and turn them regularly, she is either not truly broody or not a good broody.

Thank you for the quick response.

Yes, she sits on them the whole night, and does turn them over when ever she's on them.
So would she treat the Chicks as her own when they hatch?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Personally if she is still caring for them, I wouldn't take them. Odds are she knows what she is doing

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I agree with @JacinLarkwell.
She knows her job and she knows at 100F+ there is no need for her to sit on them.
When we get over 100 or even in the high 90s, broody hens are off the eggs for hours at a time.
When it's cold, they are only off for about 10-20 minutes.

 

[Waqar4]

I agree with @JacinLarkwell.
She knows her job and she knows at 100F+ there is no need for her to sit on them.
When we get over 100 or even in the high 90s, broody hens are off the eggs for hours at a time.
When it's cold, they are only off for about 10-20 minutes.

Thank you so much. I did not know that.