Eggs

[Rachelj07]

Hey all, I'm not sure if this is the right spot to put this, but I didn't see anywhere else for hatching eggs. My question is, very hard to word. So I'll give an example with the question. I have some silkies that I want to get purebreeds out of. Until recently we did not have a seperate pen for them (as this is a recent developement I have decided I wanted to do). We had a silver phoenix in the pen with all the others (including the Silkies). Our silver phoenix is an active boy and loved his girls...Now that I have my silkies in a seperate pen, with a silkie rooster. How long before I can start gathering eggs and know that the dad won't be the silver phoenix? Is it the egg right after the "deed" that only belongs to the one that got the fun or does it take longer before that "fun" will be out of her system? I've had my silkies seperated for about 5 days. Is this long enough that I can collect the eggs and know both parents will be silkies?

Sorry if I've confused you. It was hard to word

 

[PunkinPeep]

I've read that one rooster's "influence" can last several weeks.

What some people do - and what i think i'm going to do when i start breeding (soon i hope), is to separate the intended hens alone - until their eggs are infertile. That way you know the former rooster's influence has ended. Then add the influential rooster you want to breed from, but wait to start collecting eggs for incubation until you see that all the girls are laying fertile eggs.

Me, not being an expert and wanting to be very sure of what i have - this seems like the best method.

Like i said, i haven't actually done this yet. It just makes the most sense in my newbie brain.

 

[Rachelj07]

It does make sense! Though I've also heard that a chicken is pre-programmed with how many eggs they will lay in their lifetime? So it makes sense if you think of it in that term that it's the very next egg, but who knows right? I guess that's why I'm asking because I"ve heard so many different stories. I figure if I hatch these, and they are not all black and all Silkie characteristics then I'll just keep trying

 

[JordanFamily]

Quote:
You might end up with a few of each.... Good luck...

 

[A.T. Hagan]

It can take up to about four weeks to be certain the non-Silkie cockbird isn't in the eggs. Some have found it can take that long.

But if your Silkie boy is virile and active it can be a lot less time than that. A week might be sufficient though I think I'd wait at least ten days myself.

.....Alan.

 

[Rachelj07]

Well I know my male silkie is very virile as out of the last set of mixes we hatched (for our own private use), about half of them have black skin or black spots on their skin and they were all standard sized eggs we hatched.

I'll be pulling her eggs for awhile so I'm sure I'll start to get some pure sooner before later