balti Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 Hi, Is there anything i should know about my silkie starting her family in the eglu. I have taken out the bars..... 2 out of 4 have started breaking out today and i can hear chirping from under the hen. Should i close the door for the next 2 days to keep out the draught and keep chicks in? I have put a little dish of crumb and water inside. Any tips appreciated. SO excited Thanks Trace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirl Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 I don't know but I came on here looking for advice too. I have eggs in the incubator due to hatch about Wednesday. I also have a broody silkiex who has been sitting in my rablu for the last 3 days. I am going to put the hatching eggs under her tonight and put her into lockdown but I don't know where to put food/water. I could use the bowl area (where the nest is on the chicken version) for the food but I think the water will lean and spill in a drinker. I know the Dogmother has used a rablu so I'm hoping she will have some tips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atsw Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 You don't need to worry about feeding the chicks for up to 2 days. Mum is the only one needing food and water to start with. However, if water is in the Eglu, be sure you use a very shallow container and put marbles in it. Chicks have a tendency to try to drown themselves in their first few days of life . So, just be careful of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laurmurf Posted May 12, 2013 Share Posted May 12, 2013 I've hatched several times in our eglu. I've taken all the bars out, put a very shallow saucer with marbles in it at the doorway and sprinkled a small pile of chick crumb nearish mum so that she could get some when she didn't want to leave the chicks. When she does take them out into the run, the chicks will be able to jump down but won't be able to jump up into it again. I banked the bedding up outside so that the chicks could get back into the eglu again. You may also need to put some covering over the lower part of the length of the run as small chicks can fit through the omlet run bars. Good luck with your hatch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balti Posted May 12, 2013 Author Share Posted May 12, 2013 Thanks for your replies - Im worried about the water thing...... I will take a look in the morning! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirl Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 How are your chicks doing Balti? I know at least one of ours has hatched as I can hear cheeping but broody is sat tight so having to be patient. Have you made a ramp for your chicks to get in the Eglu? I'm not sure how to make one they'll manage in the first few days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balti Posted May 16, 2013 Author Share Posted May 16, 2013 Hi Shirl. Well Pip was cracked out sunday night and was there Monday morning when i went to peek. Bits so traumatic ! That left 3 eggs...... I have been reading up and reading up on this..... So 24 hrs later i opened the eglu hatch and took some crumb to mum who made all the right noises and Pip appeared jumped on my hand and with help from mum started pecking..... Yesterday I put in a corn on the cob so both mum and pip shared but i cant see Pip taking water! when i put her near the dish she stands on it and jumps off.... Mum wont budge from her nest, she even last night poo'ed whilst in her nest... This morning i opened the hatch for a peek, and also opened the door to the run and for the first time in what seems like forever she jumped up, ran out, poo'ed....... And i saw pips sibling, Plop. so 2 egss left.. My only worry was that mum didnt go straight back to the 2 eggs, instead she start digging the auboise around the eglu, and little plop went flying.... she eventually settled back on the 2 eggs and 2 chicks before i had to go to work, - I wonder if she knows that the other 2 eggs wont hatch and shes getting restless. Will watch tonight and see how she goes... -) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miller30 Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 I would candle the eggs tonight if you get a chance as if they are not going to hatch you need to chuck them so she starts looking after babies if you leave the door open when shes ready she will bring babies out if she doesn't go back you know the eggs are no good as she wont leave the eggs if she knows they are going to hatch if this makes sense leanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balti Posted May 16, 2013 Author Share Posted May 16, 2013 Thanks! we will candle tonight - They all looked good last Friday! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirl Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 Just checked again. So far we have 2 unhatched, 1 live and 1 dead chick. It looks very squashed. I almost wish we had kept them in the incy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balti Posted May 16, 2013 Author Share Posted May 16, 2013 Oh no......that's what I'm dreading. There isn't much room in that nesting area. I want to get them out and fill It up with auboise to match the level everywhere else, it might give chicks more room and easier to get To food ! Hope other 2 hatch ok!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atsw Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 My Classic Eglu is currently full to over-brimming with Auboise. Seems to be fine, Mum and her three chicks have been in it since they were 1 weeks old (they were all in a Guinea Pig hutch for hatching and first week of life). Pictures are available at http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=61&t=93243. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirl Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 Mine aren't in the nest area because mine is the rabbit version so there isn't a nest area. Theoretically there is loads of room but she must just be careless.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atsw Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 Interestingly my Biscuit isn't using the nest area, at night she prefers to settle at the back of the Eglu. The whole area is pretty much level with all the bedding material that's inside. Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balti Posted May 16, 2013 Author Share Posted May 16, 2013 I think tomorrow i will level it out - just been outside and she is still very protective of her 2 remaining eggs - unless she thinks i am after the chick - alot of pecking going on and she is moving stuff around her nest. I managed to get one egg out and torched it - i cant see through it!! cant get to the other in fear of harming the 2 little chicks... or causing mum to do something silly. I'm rubbish at this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirl Posted May 16, 2013 Share Posted May 16, 2013 I can see the last 2 chicks have started to break through with quite large holes in the shell. We have put chick food and water in the run and made a very makeshift ramp using a couple of bricks and then an edging tile which makes a slope. I was concerned wood would be too slippery even though it wasn't shiny. I have then covered it all in hemcore to level it off further and make it softer. I will assess in the morning but will probably open the door and leave mum to it. We are due to go to London tomorrow so I won't be in all day. We will leave home at about 9 so have a while to keep an eye and change my mind if required. I hope your eggs pip tonight Balti. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balti Posted May 17, 2013 Author Share Posted May 17, 2013 wow.how exciting, my 2 eggs are whole - and she is leaving them for a bit longer today but she has not yet taken the chicks outside and pip hatched monday am.... we are away from this afternoon until sun ( have parents over to look after dogs etc ) so wont be around either... Good luck ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miller30 Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 Just a word of warning make sure the holes in the wire are not big enough for the chicks to get through and if she does bring them out they can get back in as I had a lady phone me a couple of weeks ago she got bantams off me last year to say she went out for the day came back and found 3 chicks had got through the wire and couldn't get back to mum they were outside dead as they got cold do you mind me asking balti why did you not put her eggs under her at the same time as its not a good idea with them hatching at different times as she needs to look after the babies that have hatched and not worry about eggs leanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirl Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 Well this morning I looked to see what had happened and the last 2 chicks were dead in shell. What a disaster. I gave her 4 eggs and she's killed 3. Last time I use her as a broody! I'm going to order an electric hen and start again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balti Posted May 19, 2013 Author Share Posted May 19, 2013 oh my gosh - Im so sorry Has the last 2 not make it out of their shell??? I have come home today and she has chucked one of the eggs out of the eglu into the run and the other egg she buried under the auboise so shes not interested in them now.. plus they are cold. To answer a question from the post before we did not do this properly. We had a chicken who went broody and was shoving eggs under and it got out of control - our fault - we candled them and marked the ones what looked fertile but they were at diff stages. I have 2 chicks which is 2 more than i though - and Geri Silkie is such a good mum! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirl Posted May 19, 2013 Share Posted May 19, 2013 No they didn't make it out of the shell even though there were large holes made. Ours is a silki cross and she is being a good mum now. Part of me thinks maybe we should have hatched them and then put them under but she did still squash one and there is no certainty she would have accepted them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balti Posted May 19, 2013 Author Share Posted May 19, 2013 If they didnt make it out of the shell thats the chicks not being strong enough? Mother never helps? Or have I got that all wrong.. Do you know if its possible to put another silkie into the same eglu with mum and 2 chicks, if the new silkie is sitting on a few eggs or will she try and steal or hurt the chicks because she is broody? Or would they all ignore each other? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shirl Posted May 19, 2013 Share Posted May 19, 2013 I wouldn't Geri would probably attack the new hen in order to protect her chicks and of course chicks could be hurt in the scuffle. One of my silkies eggs looked squashed. It's as if she were very heavy footed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balti Posted May 19, 2013 Author Share Posted May 19, 2013 You would think that they were sitting on them for so long they would do ballet moves around them... Must be horrid to have to see that! Ok wont add Cher to the mix will have to find somewhere else to put her - She cant stay where she is, Will candle her eggs tonight and make a decision.! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
