Does Mum know best?

[Tensing]

My Broody Silkie has been sat on her eggs now for 2 weeks.

She had 2 batches of 6 eggs from ebay, and 7 other eggs she stole from the other silkies before I moved her in to the hutch.

2 days ago the dropped one of the stolen eggs out of the nest box, and then today I found one of the ebay eggs out of the nest box. The first egg she throw out had started to develop, but was freezing when I found it. Todays egg seems to have started to develop also, though I haven't broken it open yet.

So my question is, is she throwing out eggs that have died or not developed, or is she just chucking out eggs randomly or even by accident?

[Boots]

mmm . My ducks will eject eggs that have stopped growing - and I have no idea how they seem to know this, but you can check by candling them.

An easy set up is a small cardboard box with a pen hole in one end and a hole on the other end that fits a light bulb. Pull the shade of a lamp and insert the bulb, then switch it on and hold the egg on the pen hole. If you can see movement, I would return it to the nest. If there is no movement, then you know why mum was pushing it aside.

They will also spread eggs out just prior to hatching, but 2 week old eggs are a tad early for that... Maybe install a calendar near the laying boxes.

[Tensing]

Thanks

[Magpie]

Is she sitting on all those eggs at once? It sounds like an awful lot for a little Silkie to be sitting on... maybe too many for her?

[Stonehead]

My Broody Silkie has been sat on her eggs now for 2 weeks.

She had 2 batches of 6 eggs from ebay, and 7 other eggs she stole from the other silkies before I moved her in to the hutch.

2 days ago the dropped one of the stolen eggs out of the nest box, and then today I found one of the ebay eggs out of the nest box. The first egg she throw out had started to develop, but was freezing when I found it. Todays egg seems to have started to develop also, though I haven't broken it open yet.

So my question is, is she throwing out eggs that have died or not developed, or is she just chucking out eggs randomly or even by accident?

Too many eggs! Half a dozen at most would be best. She'll find it very difficult to keep more than that warm.

Our broody Scots Grey, which is a much larger bird, managed six very well and probably could have handled eight. More than that would have been too many.

[Tensing]

Its been suggested that I candle them and remove the clear ones, so tonight armed with my very thick gloves and wooly hat I'm off in the dark to check her eggs.