Help!! my silkies wont breed!!

[ninny]

i bought a pair of silkies in march and they wont breed! i dont get it. They are in a breeding pen w a nest box. how can i get them to make some babies. i got them a swap so maybe they are to old? how would i check that? tips please!!

 

[kevin2010]

well just give them some more time maybe they are still adjusting

 

[lurky]

Well.....SHE may be adjusting........But i am sure HE would not bother

Maybe you have 2 hens.

 

[Kev]

What do you mean by not breeding? Not mating, not laying, eggs not fertile, hen not going broody or what? All of above?

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I don't think Silkies are ever in any rush to lay. They like sitting and raising chicks but not really laying the eggs. At least, that is what I have read.

On the other hand, I got 14 eggs from someone on this list from her Silkies, (and they were large eggs, too!) and though I have no idea how many she has, she sent them fresh laid within about 2 days. So maybe talking to a Silkie breeder would be the way to go.
I just got my Silkies for raising my dual purpose chicks and not for laying.
Good luck!

 

[silkiechicken]

First, make sure they are male and female.
Second, make sure they have had time to get adjusted... some take months....
Third, make sure they are old enough. I've had some take till 8 months to lay their first pullet egg.

Once those are covered and you have big eggs that are larger than a shooter marble, you can wait and see if she sets. Sometiems she will, sometimes she wont. I have a silkie girl who has never set and shows no inclination to doing so. I've hatched out some of her chicks, and after laying for about a month, sat on air in the nest and would not get up.

If you don't see them doing the act, I've maybe seen my silkie roo get his hens... but those eggs are fertile. They prefer to do it when you're not looking.

Best of luck.

 

[onthespot]

might sound like an obvious question, but have you heard one of them crow, and are the neck feathers different from each other's? The cockerel should be growing longer neck feathers and crowing if he is breeding age. If you are getting "lots" of eggs from you hen, there may be two hens.

 

[onthespot]

sorry, double post.

 

[farmgirlie1031]

I got a pair of BB Game at that swap also (except in May) that I was told were excellent breeders and I have witnessed no action nor any eggs. The other pair I got at the same swap I saw action got a few eggs and hatched them out in the bator as I did not want the hen to go broody yet but now she doesn't lay eggs at all I'm thinking it's just the crazy weather as she's not bleached out that much.