Calling all Silkie Experts!!

[Chalmen]

Hello all,

A few days ago - I got my first two little babies....two white silkies...about 5 weeks of age (although this is not certain - could be older). One of them is a little bigger than the other and this morning - I could swear was a first attempt at a crow...loud and while flapping the wings. Now, since we were unable to sex them....can I pretty well say this little one is a cockerel?

My other one is quiet and a little smaller.

Ok - now for another question. At what age would a pullet/hen be tempted to sit on eggs. I have the opportunity to acquire a few fertilized eggs...and wondered if my little one might be inclined to sit on them. Should I wait a few months or give it a try? Would rather have the hen do the work - the way nature intended, rather than use an incubator....but just not sure if she is old enough yet.

I'm looking forward to your replies...being a newbie at this - it is always great to learn from others who have the experience!

Thanks in advance!!

 

[AHappychick]

well they wont go broody until they are mature at least I dont think so and right now you want them eating and growing (not going broody) I found with a lot of my silkies once they start laying they will do so for about 4-5 weeks steady (about 3-4 eggs a week) then I find them one day flat as a pancake in the nest (often with nothing or a few of that mornings eggs underneath them) I remove them and they go on with their day, by the third day they wont budge from their pancake in nest mode and are officially broody. Thats where I decide to try to break it or to set under them.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

At 5 weeks they are still babies. That is really, really early for almost any breed to crow (not impossible--I had a bird crow at 2 weeks!) Asking if the presumed pullet is ready to go broody is the equivalent of "is a 5-year human old ready to be a mother?"

The earliest I ever heard of a silkie going broody was a very pet quality one I had who was 6 months old--and had never laid. Normally don't expect any bird to go broody until it has been laying at least 2 or 3 months. Silkies are usually very slow to develop. My old reply was that I had one who was 13 months before se laid. My newer response is that I have a hen who is about two and a half who is a fairly new layer (a couple of months at most). On the other hand, Daphne looked and acted like a young pullet until he started crowing at about 10 months. Cloud started at 3 months, and is probably my earliest ever crow from a quality silkie.

 

[Chalmen]

Thanks for the replies !

I have a correction to make....I was able to get more info about their age and they would be about 8-9weeks old. So that makes a little more sense re: the crowing. He's definitely crowing all right...and seems that every morning he gets a little more confident and a little louder! LOL Very cute.

Thanks for your insight on the "broodiness".....there is no hurry at all....I just thought I would ask...most sites say 6 months the earliest.....I imagine that would be about the time they may be inclined to "mate" as well.

Thanks all really appreciated!

 

[Freeholder]

I had a Silkie rooster start crowing at eight weeks old, so that's about right if your two are that age. But definitely too young to expect the pullet to go broody. I have a Golden-laced Wyandotte hen who went broody at six months and hatched some eggs, but that was kind of a shock!

Kathleen