more chicken Qs

debbie_dee

hi good luck with your eggs guys, we had a silkie hatch 6 chicks sunday they are so cute 5 yellow and 1 black kids are thrilled..

choille

Well done Debbie!

skipton

Are you thinking of putting the chicks into the eglu when hatched?

tryingtobegreen

OK BIG PROBLEM

Billy wind was in my garden last night. He knocked over the coop with broody and eggs in:mad::mad::mad:

Honestly dont no what time it happened, all i no is that when i let the pup out at 5am the broody was running round the garden. The eggs were still in the upside down coop, burried under wood shavings, cold but intact!!
Broody (bless her), back on the eggs as soon as she could but is it now more than prob i wont be getting any chicks?

If eggs no good i can get some more but how long should i wait before letting her sit some more?
dont want her to starve or anything as ive hardly seen her since the eggs came on the scene

tryingtobegreen

Congrats Debbie Dee

Skipton, yes i was thinking of putting hen and chicks in the eglu. The run is safer for chicks as the holes are very small so it cant walk through or get stuck plus its floor level!

choille

If the eggs were cold then it's unlikely that they'll hatch I'm afraid.

The hen may abandon them herself. She may not, in which case she's sitting on duff eggs.

Your choice if you remove them - If they were clap cold, I would remove them - she'll be very cross - wear gloves!

Wait until she goes broody again, starts sitting, before you place anymore eggs under her.

A hen won't starve when they are sitting - some rarely eat or drink - they shut down, conserve energy.

I'd give her a couple of weeks to recover though.

tryingtobegreen

Gutted.

Im going to try my luck next time and get some off Ebay that way if they hatch ill have the same hens and not a mixed collection.

choille

Mixed collections are interesting - lets you get to know other breeds - mixtures.

Buying eggs through the post is hit & miss. The movement compromises the air sack.

All the best.

skipton

Oh thats such a shame about the eggs.

tryingtobegreen

i no. im sure im wasting her time and energy but i have left her sitting on them.
im going to leave her till may 20th, the 21day inc time expires 18may so at least i no i did not throw them away and always wonder.
i just keep thinking as they were under the wood shavings they MIGHT be ok
anyway ill post with news when an if i have any