Abandoned Eggs

When I went out to check on the chickens late this afternoon, I found the broody Silkie had left her nest eggs. I fussed at her, picked her up with the intent to make her go back to sitting on eggs, and found two chicks underneath her. As best I can tell, based on broken shells, three eggs hatched under the other two broody ens. Two chicks wandered out of their nest boxes sometime today and the broody Silkie decided they must be hers and proceeded to be mama hen to them. Don't know what happened to the third chick. Can't find it.

I've no idea if the eggs she was sitting on are still alive. They were very cool but not cold to the touch and it has been a damp cool rainy day today. I tried to get two other setting hens from the other coop to take an interest and they refused. So I stuck them under the original two broodies and we will see. We weren't expecting hatching until late Thursday/Friday. And Thursday we were supposed to go off island for the last major shopping expedition before ferry rates go up for the summer. That is now up in the air.

As far as I can tell, the eggs that hatched are ours, not the fancy ones that were sent to us. Pics if poultry cooperate tomorrow.