A few newbie guestions.

[2boxers]

1. My hen (a silkie) has done a fabulous job so far, but in the last few days, she has pooped in her nest. I candled my eggs last night & they have poop on them. What, if anything, should I do?

2. My "due date" is St Pat's (Tuesday 3/17). That is day #20. Can anyone give me a run-down on what I can expect for the next few day. What sort of behavior can I expect from my broody hen? What should I be on guard for?

I'm nervous as...well...a wet hen! I can't wait to meet my new chicky babies but I am also a bit afraid that something could go horribly wrong.

 

[PortageGirl]

kick her out of the nest for at least a few minutes twice a day, let her get a bit of walking, some water and hopefully she'll poo outside the nest then. They normally do that anyway, but she might have gotten too stiff and thus unwilling to do it by choice, by you gently lifting her off for just a few minutes (they normally do this anyway, that's why there isn't often much poo on the nest/eggs, as long as you don't force her to stay off for more than a 3-5 minutes or so, it'll be ok. Probably a little longer would be ok too, but if she's overly worried, let her back on after she gest some water and a stretch.) get the worst of the dirty straw/bedding away, then add a little more and let her back on. She won't be happy about getting off, but it's better in the long run.

They need that little stretch and some water, and if she's driven to pooping in the nest, she's probably stiffening up ... some hens get up all along, some refuse near the end of the hatch.

[edit] oh, take a rag and gently wipe what you can off the eggs, but don't wash them... they'll be fine, poo happens!

 

[2boxers]

I didn't think about her getting stiff, but it makes perfect sense. Thank you very much, I'll go run her off for a few minutes.

Thanks again.

 

[crzychicken]

My broody silkie is due to hatch her chicks on 19th/ 20th but the lady who I got my eggs from said don't count the night you gave her the eggs count the next day as day 1. My broody silikie (nan) poops 2x a day, she did poop in her nest 1x at the begining.
Nan is a young silkie about 33 weeks old and doing a great job she comes out eats, drinks a whole lot of water I wonder what her humidty is at ? lol

 

[2boxers]

My silkie is almost a year old. She has not been getting off the nest the past couple of days-it's been rainy & cool so I thought maybe she was just maintaining the temps. We've got her in a nesting box in the garage (I don't trust my roo to leave her alone) and she has a heat lamp. I went out & got her off the nest an hour or so again. She cussed at me (Sounded like Woodstock fussing at Snoopy) and waddled back onto her eggs. Her legs and underside are coated in poop. I am wondering if I should sacrifice the eggs. It's not worth losing my girl over. I just hate to end it when we are so close to the end.

I'm worried.