How many eggs can a silkie sit on?

[NoseyChickens]

How many bantam eggs should I set under my silkie? How can I tell if she has too many?

 

[cat1994]

You can tell you have to many eggs under her if you can see some eggs showing even when she is sitting on them and all fluffed up most silkie hens will be happy to sit on about 5 to 10 bantam eggs

 

[mama2many]

I was going to say a bunch

My silkie mama sat on 5 of her own eggs.....then went broody on NOTHING after that!! Felt so sorry for her, good luck with your Silkie and her eggs.....

 

[NoseyChickens]

I am having an inner debate. My silkie has been broody. She still is. But I gave her one "test egg" to see how she would do with it today before I put my shipped eggs in with her. She is just sitting next to it, not on it. I'm not sure if I should give her the eggs I really want to hatch. My two other broodies up and quit on me before the eggs arrived. I have the incubator up and running just in case I decide to go that route.

 

[Surehatch]

Quote:
That's a pretty good rule of thumb

 

[cat1994]

Quote:
That's a pretty good rule of thumb

thanks Surehatch i got it out of some book a long time ago

 

[callen]

if the eggs are showing from under her there are more than she can fit

 

[marymac]

I have a really small silky and she hatched 7 out of 7 regular sized eggs for me. I was really surprised she covered them that well.

 

[HB&B]

Quote:
Im doing the same with my bantam mix hens. Two are broody now and I am waiting to see if they have a good hatch rate before I go buying eggs to have them care for. I'm gonna see how they do as mothers and as broodies and then determine if I want to actually want to put money into it. So I think you are doing the right thing, but I would do more than just 1 egg.

 

[rebel yell]

got a silkie hen right now setting on 6 eggs & i dont know if she is covering them good or not, she had 8 under her & kept pushing some of them out & i know 2 eggs are no good, just not sure about her sitting on eggs that are special, i think i would go with the bator, if you trust it, i trust my incubator faithfully.