Ultimate cold weather test for a broody hen SUCCESS - pictures

[Ducks-R-Us]

Well I tried all Fall to get one of my two silky hens to go broody as my call ducks were laying. I had a nest of golf balls and figured one day one would decide to claim the nest. It took all Fall and now we are into Winter before one of the hens decided those golf balls were hers. My call ducks had quit laying only about a week before this hen decided it was time to sit. Some of my other ducks have been laying, so I snatched up a couple freshly laid eggs and placed them under her and took away the golf balls. That was one week ago today, I candled the eggs today and 2 of the three are good - the one that wasn't did have a blood ring, so it had started. This past week we have been in the deep freeze with temps down to minus 15 and some daytime temps not even reaching 0. I happened across a couple freshly laid chicken eggs today, so I placed them under her as well. So she has two duck eggs and two chicken eggs due to hatch three weeks from today.
The shed she is in is not insulated but does have lots of straw. I have to keep the waterer on a heated base or else it would freeze up. This is really just a test to see if this chicken can hatch these eggs out in the middle of winter here in North Dakota. I really was surprised today that the eggs were actually developing. If she does make it to within a couple days of hatching, I think I will try to move her inside as I am sure the baby chicks and ducklings would not last long once they hatch.

 

[lngrid]

Wow! Where in North Dakota are you? My dad, aunts and grandparents all grew up near Dunseith in Bottineau county, near the Peace Gardens, or near Saint John in Rolette county.

 

[PandoraTaylor]

good luck and keep us updated

 

[Bantimna]

Good Luck

 

[Ducks-R-Us]

Quote:
I am on the eastern edge just north of Fargo - right where the Sheyenne River enters the Red River - that way I can be flooded by two rivers

 

[Ducks-R-Us]

Week two for the duck eggs and both are doing fine, week one for the two chicken eggs and they are also doing fine. The weather has gotten better this past week with temperatures reaching all the way up to 20F above zero. There is still ice on the walls inside the coop but the broody is still sitting tight. I have caught her off the nest a couple of times but just eats, drinks, and goes the bathroom and hops back on.

 

[PandoraTaylor]

doing good....
good Luck!

 

[Ducks-R-Us]

Just candled again at the end of week three for the duck eggs and the end of week two for the chicken eggs. I know the chicken eggs are good but I am not completely sure about the duck eggs. They seem to have some dark spots and the veins do not show up as they should. I left them with her and will candle again on Thursday, if any of the eggs are good at that time, I will try to move her and her eggs inside. This past week the weather was mild, highs in the 20s, but this next week, we are supposed to get cold again.

 

[Ducks-R-Us]

Well this has been another cold week - 31 below this morning. But my silkie chicken has stayed with her eggs. I just moved her inside with both duck eggs pipping.
Earlier this week when she got off her nest to eat, she jumped back on the wrong nest. I had a nest of golf balls next to hers and she sat on those. I do not know how long she was off but all the eggs - 2 chicken eggs and 2 duck eggs - were cold to the touch. When I noticed she was on the wrong nest, I picked her up and put her back on the eggs, she just sat right back on them. I candled the eggs a couple days later and could see movement in the duck eggs and 1 chicken egg. The 1 chicken egg did quit after that "cooling period". The other chicken egg hatched last night - two day early, but I did not find the baby, I can only figure the rest of the chickens ate her - I searched the entire coop and no signs of it at all.
Hopefully, I will have a couple pictures of the ducklings tomorrow.

 

[Ducks-R-Us]

Here are the two ducklings this silkie chicken hatched: One looks to be a magpieXsweedish and the other is a crested buff - small crest.