silkie hatching duck eggs?

[stumble_n_mumble]

i have a silkie and im planning on bringing my pekin to a place to get her knocked up lol. and get some fertile eggs maybe like 3? would my silkie be able to handle hatching them,???? :-D i hope so

 

[Jeff9118]

YES I have set duck eggs under chickens many times with great success. The only thing though is the only duck eggs I have ever set under bantan chickens were calll ducks which if your not familar are basically bantam ducks. I believe this can still be done. Just stick your hand under your silkie twice a day and turn the eggs in case they are to big for your silkie to handle. Let me know when they hatch.

 

[Rainbowbirds-of-a-Feather]

I agree one of my birds I had a long while back set on Duck eggs and she never stopped until they hatched!! But when they bathed in a water dish she was not too sure what to do and bathed in the dirt. It was so funny. and she was not a silkie. but silkies will site on eggs for a long time definately.

 

[elliottfam11]

I'm hoping someone can help me. I'm getting some duck eggs, either Pekin or silkie ducks, and I want my silkie chickens to hatch them for me. I have 3 hen silkies, 2 buff orphington hens and 2 wyandotte hens. They have a shed for a coop with roost boxes for all of them. They lay eggs in them all the time that we gather, no roosters. Can I just put the eggs under one of the silkies in there and let them all take care of them or do I need to remove one of them to the coop we had them in as babies, wooden coop with a few roost in it that we kept just in case we got more babies? And if I have to remove her do I keep her locked up in the wooden coop all the time? Please let me know, we had a fox kill my Pekin female duck and 3 silkies last week and we're devastated from the loss. I really want to do this right. Thank you

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

You don't say if your silkies are broody? If they are not broody and already sitting when you get your duck eggs you can't make them go broody if they don't want too.
If you do have broody you need to make sure the nest is dry and predator proof. Also that she has food and water available near by so she can come off the nest everyday to eat drink and poop.

 

[elliottfam11]

How do u know if they're broodie? Does that mean if they r already sitting on eggs? Then no. I've seen them sitting on the eggs they lay sometimes before I get them. I can post pics tomorrow of their coop if that helps. Their food and water is right outside the coop, and we started shutting the door at night to keep them safe, nothing can get in there. Do u think I need to move the food and water in the coop for whoever sits on them? So u don't think I will have to separate whoever sits on them to the babies coop? Again I can take pics tomorrow of both of the coops. This is our first chickens we ever had and we have never hatched or had them hatch eggs before. I've only raised ducks and these chickens from babies. Thank u for ur help and patience.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/broody-hens

This link is all about broody hens hope it helps. If they are broody they will sit in their nest and not want to come out. They also go into a kind of trance as the hormones take over. They will only come off the nest for a short period everyday to eat etc. Also if you try to disturb them they can become agitated and peck and fluff up because they are protecting their eggs. Some like to move them to their own place and others don't. If they are in with others there is the risk that other hens could go in and lay in the nest adding more eggs which would have a different incubation time then. Also the other birds could attack the ducklings when they hatch. So maybe section img that part of the coop off would be a good idea if you do get one that goes broody.

 

[darkbluespace]

If you leave some decoy eggs in a nesting box, one of your Silkies may go broody pretty quickly. I hope you are able to hatch some of your duck eggs!

 

[elliottfam11]

Thank u so much for the info, it is very helpful. I don't have to worry about them adding any fertilized eggs to the group since we don't have a rooster and all my ladies are very laid back and easy going. They have all gotten along since they were babies. In ur opinion do you think I should put down some eggs, or leave some that others had laid, a few days before I get the eggs I want one to sit on, to see if one of them go broody? I thought that when I got the eggs that I would just take them to the coop and put them together on the bottom shelves, that's where my 3 silkies lay eggs and sleep, and one or more would share in sitting on them. I guess I am wrong in that thought process, huh? If u can give me an approximate time to put some unfertilized eggs out there, before the duck eggs arrive, so I can see if this will work, I'd hate to buy them and my ladies don't go broody. That would help out I think. Thank you both again for ur very helpful info. on another note, the night they were attacked, after, when I put them in the coop, one of my silkies started moving a couple of eggs, on the bottom nest that we hadn't collected yet, and putting them underneath her. Also they have all still been laying everyday, so thank God they seem to feel safe enough.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

It's a good sign that she was moving eggs underneath her. Personally I would try a week before with a clutch of unfertilised. If she starts sitting I would get the duck eggs as soon as possible to put underneath her as duck eggs are 28 days incubation period.