[clairebeau]

Hello all!
Gosh it's AGES since I posted on here, please forgive me.
I have my cuckoo silkie only just laying, and she seems to be loving the fact that she can lay eggs, feels very proud of herself and likes to sit on them, keeping them lovely and warm, infact, she likes to sit on everyones eggs, quite the Aupair she is getting!
So, I am as planned, this summer, going to let her hatch out some eggs.
I am happy to give them eventually to my friend, who has a working dairy farm and ice-cream business that has many visitors and many hens, ducks, turkeys and the likes.  Her Mum has even offered to help me out with the cockerels :-(
So!  What do I do?  Hee hee.  I have a safe area that she can make her nest in, it is actually the old place that they first lived in, before they moved into the place they're in now. 
I know I could get a book but why? When I have you lot??!!!
To be honest, knowing what she is like, I reckon its not going to be too tricky, she seems pretty keen! Besides, it's nature!

So, come on my friends, let me know what to do.  Tell me about your broodies too if you like.  I'd love to hear from you.

C. x

[lisa80]

hi there, we have recently had 2 girls go broodie and managed to hatch 7 between them :)try to keep an eye and make sure they are taking water and feeding while they are sat .
I will warn you their poo is very smelly ::)and large .also it might be an idea to have a lamp and box set up just in case she falls ill after hatching .It really is great watching them show the babies how to feed etc what sort of eggs are you thinking of putting under her???

[joyfull]

Do you have your own cockerel? If not be very careful where you source your fertile eggs from. There are no guarantees that the eggs will be fertile, nor that she will continue to sit for the whole of the three weeks especially as she is so young. If you do let her sit (silkies and silkie crosses are notorious for going broody - I have one sitting at the moment) then you must make sure you get her off the eggs twice a day to exercise, eat, drink and pooh, but be carefull when lifting her as she may have an egg tucked up and it will drop onto the floor (happened this morning to me  ). Leave her alone the rest of the time. When the three weeks are up make sure you have chick crumbs in stock and water in shallow dishes (unless you are using a proper chick drinker then use marbles or similar in the water to prevent the chicks from drowning). Do not disturb her for a couple of days after the first egg hatches as there may be more to hatch - chicks can survive a day or so without you. Any eggs not hatched after that she will leave and then teach the chicks what to do.

[clairebeau]

Thanks guys.

No, I don't have a cockerel.  I'm not sure about what breed what we will be hatching, I may ask my friend what type she would prefer, and possibly get the eggs from her in the first place.  Or she may want something unrelated to hers.  I fell in love with Pekins last year, they seem sooooo cute and friendly.  I won't be getting them through the post, as I would like my boys to come with me to the 'supplier/farm/source' and actually see the cockerel and hens and understand what birds and eggs are all about.  Did that make sense?
Anyhow, thanks for your help and telling me your stories, good luck with the litttle ones.
xxx