Broode Silkie- how many peafowl eggs?

[keystonepaul]

Can I put 8 peafowl eggs under a broody Silkie? or is this too many? How many would be ok? I'm picking up the Broody Silkie as my broodie hens are suddenly inconsistently broody and I don't trust them. Anyone with any experience with putting peafowl eggs under a Silkie or other chicken hen help me out with how many of the eight I can put under her? I believe she is a Standard and it wasn't stated otherwise in the corrospondance I've had withe the individual I'm getting the broody Silkie from. Thanks for your time, Keystonepaul

 

[scratch'n'peck]

Silkies are pretty small, so 8 is probably too many. I think you will have to see how many she can cover. If you can see eggs sticking out from the side when she is on the nest, then they may not stay warm enough to hatch. I hope she stays broody after you move her. Some have suggested moving the broody after dark so that she is less likely to get up.

 

[SPRING CREEK FARM]

I have had very good luck with my silkie hens when they are broody; they have hatched out pheasants and peafowl. My silkie hens can handle 2 peafowl eggs fairly well; I have a black silkie hen that hatched out 2 white peachicks last year!

 

[keystonepaul]

We'll I got 16 peafowl eggs under my silkie. She now sits about 2 feet off the ground however.
Hehehe, 8 peafowl eggs under a silkie. We'll obviously I had never seen a peafowl egg or a silkie hen in person. Of course you folks gathered that from the start.
I did get her to set on chicken eggs for me when I got her home and replaced them with 3 peafowl eggs this evening. I put them in front of her after removing the chicken eggs and she rolled each one under her. Thanks for the help and going easy on me for being so niave about the size of silkies and the size of peafowl eggs! 28 days and counting !! Appreciate the thoughts and help! Silikes are beautiful by the way!! Keystonepaul

 

[scratch'n'peck]

LOL - you will just need to get more Silkies

Cochins can be good broodies, too, and if you get a full sized one you can fit a few more eggs under her.

good luck with the hatch!