My silkie that is laying on eggs that will hatch around the 15th keeps getting them taken away from her by the other silkie that is in with her.She will take three and sit on them for awhile then leave them to go outside and the broody has to tuck them back under her.Will this bother the eggs rolling around so much?And will the stealer be a surrogote mother to the chicks when they hatch?Does this sort of thing happen much?
silkie keeps stealing eggs
Green: You had me rolling! This is not uncommon at all and by the time it's over only God knows whose eggs are whose.LOL. Silkies are notorious for letting other hens in to lay eggs and then stealing them. I have to mark them so I know which eggs to take away and which eggs to leave. If the other hen is broody she'll take care of all than hatch under her and then some. Good luck and enjoy.
If the stealer was broodly she would keep the eggs she stole and sit on them and not get off wouldn`t she?This one steals sits on them for a hour or so then leaves them and doesn`t come back.We have marked the eggs with a pencil a few days ago when we candled.
Darling thats not a chicken, she is just a down right thief/ I would just try to have fun with their antics. Haystack
OK THANKS HAY
I moved the broody and her eggs into the litlle coop tonight so she is all alone so when the eggs hatch there will no danger to the little ones.Now that I`ve done that the rooster and the nasty hen who were in the lttle coop has to stay in a big dog kennel and they are not happy campers,they are still in the same run as the broody just not the coop .I put the kennel in there and some hay for bedding and they did not want to go in so dh had to round them up and put them in and lock the door.I`m hopeing that being in there for the night will do the trick so they will go in every night,I really wish someone would come and get the rooster then I would put the nasty hen back in with the flock,she has been away for a few days now so she should be a little nicer when she goes back.My one that was molting is doing a lot better she was out all day today with the others and not once did she have to go get on the roost,and no more hand feeding from me,YEH!!My dh says I worry more over these chickens than I did with our kids.
This message was edited Sep 8, 2009 7:54 PM