My Silkies are broody. One is sitting and one isn't yet.
I have a Silkie that started laying eggs and I was taking each away to eat each day as it was laid. Then she started brooding nothng. On the Eastern Shore of VA I thought it would still be too cold for them to hatch. Yesterday another Silkie started laying and I gave the 1 egg to the other hen to sit on. My question is...how cold can a freshly laid egg get and still be viable? If the chicken isn't broody won't those eggs get too cold? We have some nice days in the 60's but today it is snowing. Won't those eggs "die"? I am wondering if I take the fresh eggs the day they are laid are moved them to the broody hen, would they get too cold before I collect eggs and move that one to the other hen???
When do you start setting eggs in an incubator. If I were to put some in there now and apx 3 weeks to hatch, then a few weeks to be in the garage under lamps, Then outside...when should I start setting them?
Where do you keep your eggs until you are ready to start the incubator and put them in? It is too cold outside and too warm inside? Inside runs 65 at night and 70 in the day.
I now have an incubator, I have never used one except for a 4 egger I used at school for the children ( am retired now.) I at least would like to try a few eggs out as a trial before I put something in I really want...of course I would love to have the extra Silkies, too!!
TY
I have a Silkie that started laying eggs and I was taking each away to eat each day as it was laid. Then she started brooding nothng. On the Eastern Shore of VA I thought it would still be too cold for them to hatch. Yesterday another Silkie started laying and I gave the 1 egg to the other hen to sit on. My question is...how cold can a freshly laid egg get and still be viable? If the chicken isn't broody won't those eggs get too cold? We have some nice days in the 60's but today it is snowing. Won't those eggs "die"? I am wondering if I take the fresh eggs the day they are laid are moved them to the broody hen, would they get too cold before I collect eggs and move that one to the other hen???
When do you start setting eggs in an incubator. If I were to put some in there now and apx 3 weeks to hatch, then a few weeks to be in the garage under lamps, Then outside...when should I start setting them?
Where do you keep your eggs until you are ready to start the incubator and put them in? It is too cold outside and too warm inside? Inside runs 65 at night and 70 in the day.
I now have an incubator, I have never used one except for a 4 egger I used at school for the children ( am retired now.) I at least would like to try a few eggs out as a trial before I put something in I really want...of course I would love to have the extra Silkies, too!!
TY