What is the Egg hatching process?

[sparkklegirl]

We just got our first egg yesterday from what I believe to be as the mother, a 7 month old buff silkie. We got her last week and she had been laying prior to her coming to us, but this is our first from her since her arrival. My kids would like her to hatch it, so we left the egg in the hen house. Several hens have been taking turns sitting on it, though at one point it was left alone and cold. I know that hens will lay 10 or so eggs and then lay on them. I am wondering a couple things. We only have hens, though where she lived previous there were two roosters, so how long will her eggs be fertile that she lays, or are they even fertile at this point? If they are should I just let her lay a bunch and let her set on them? How do you tell if an egg is viable or not? I have been reading a bit about candling, but I am confused about the process. Any advice from you more experienced chicken farmers?

Thanks!!!

 

[silky ma]

You cannot be sure that the egg is fertile.
Candeling is a way to tell if a baby is developing
and if it is developing well.
I made my own candeler by taking a small light like a flashlight and using the cut off top of a water bottle. Find a small flashlight, find a water bottle or gatorade type bottle that will just fit over the flashlight (when you cut the top off).
Wrap the cut off bottle top in duct tape, dont cover the mouth piece. Place snugly over the flashlight
lens and you can sit the egg pointy side down
into the open mouth piece.

Wash hands ere touching egg!! oils can clog the pores and kill the chick!
The light will shine up through the egg and if the egg has been around for 1-2weeks and is fertile you should be able to see a floating dot or veins .
Do this fast and gently. You dont want to cook the egg with the heat of the light.
Most breaders will collect a bunch of eggs- no more than 10, and hold them for no longer than 7 days-
in temps of 60-70 degrees then set them under a broody mom. 7+ days and viability goes down.

 

[jimnjay]

If your little Silkie was being bred sucessfully then you can possibly have fertile eggs from her for several weeks. If you want to try to hatch them, it would be best to collect them and place them in a cool place and rotate them several time a day. If you have a broody hen place the collected eggs under her when you have 5 or 6. You might leave some of your non fertile eggs in a nest to encourage the hen to set. If you don't have a broody hen. You will have to incubate them yourself in an incubator. I would be very surprised if your Silkie will be broody after just being moved and relocated. You will know if she spends most of her time in the nesting box. She will growl at you if you get near.