Young silkies haven't laid in four months!

[Three Silkies]

Hi. Two of my silkies are 9 months old. They first started laying in Jan and went broody straight away. They sat on empty nests (I removed the eggs) for 21 days and haven't laid since. I know chickens don't lay for a while once they've hatched (or thought they have hatched) chicks, but 4 months seems like a long time? It can't be the weather because their mother hen and sister (the same age) are still laying every day. Is this normal? Has anyone else had this happen? Any advice much appreciated.

 

[perchie.girl]

As long as they are broody they wont be layin eggs. Timing is .... you are heading into fall right now right?

expect them to start laying again in your spring.

One of the reasons people choose Silkies is they are natural born incubators. You might see if you can get a few fertile eggs to put under them let them hatch out come chicks and they will start laying again. But if you have Silkeys for egg production... you are pretty much out of luck.

deb

 

[Three Silkies]

As long as they are broody they wont be layin eggs.  Timing is .... you are heading into fall right now right?

expect them to start laying again in your spring.

One of the reasons people choose Silkies is they are natural born incubators.  You might see if you can get a few fertile eggs to put under them let them hatch out come chicks and they will start laying again.  But if you have Silkeys for egg production... you are pretty much out of luck. 

deb

Thanks for your reply, Deb. We're heading into Winter here down under. I really only chose my silkies to be pets. I'm not bothered if they don't give me eggs. I was just worried that there might be something wrong with them. They were only broody when they first started laying 5 months ago. Since that, they just run about and aren't broody at all. But they still haven't laid for 4 months?

 

[Three Silkies]

I'm beginning to wonder if perhaps four months ago, they just sat on other chickens eggs for 21 days because they're strange and if they're not actually girls at all. They definitely sat for 21 days, but they haven't laid since, have grown really big, and are quite aggressive. Having already had five "girls" who turned into Roos, I'm worried these are too. But I've never heard of Roos sitting on nests for 21 days, and they don't seem to be growing larger wattles and combs, so I don't know. I also think they're twins because I cannot tell them apart at all, and they are the only ones who won't let me pet them. Weirdos.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Can you post pictures? At 9 months old, it should be easy to tell their gender.

Some rooster will act broody, but its not that common.

Silkies aren't known for egg production, and if they're girls, you can expect this type of thing to happen often...

 

[Three Silkies]

I've been trying to take pics, but they wouldn't keep still. But the good news is that 3 eggs are now appearing. It could be that all four are laying, but one is only laying every second day (which the mother hen does). And the even better news is that Betsy - who is the biggest and most aggressive - is now sitting in the nesting box. I have the day off today, so I'm going to try and monitor which chickens are laying. Hopefully, it is all 4. Thanks again for your advice.