How many eggs should I put under my silkie?

[AllenK RGV]

First time I have had one of our SilkiexBantam Cochins go broody. She weighs in at 1.25-1.5 pounds or so, and we tried prison for a day as she was brooding an empty nest. My 5 pound chicken do fine with 13, but I have a box full of eggs and started her off yesterday with 4. I doubt all of the eggs are fertile and do want her to get a bit of a reward at the end. I am not worried about loosing eggs from our plates from eggs being kicked out and infertile.

She does not need to run but 1 yard to the feed/water station.

 

[Gray Farms]

Are you giving her large breed eggs or bantam eggs? 6-8 large eggs, 10-12 bantam eggs.

 

[azygous]

You're doing this so your Silkie will have a "reward" at the end? I doubt she sees it that way. Brooding chicks is based on strong instincts to add to the flock to strengthen and perpetuate it, not as an individual endeavor for personal satisfaction. Chickens don't roll that way.

First, how many eggs, if any, you wish to have your broody hatch should be determined by how many new chickens you wish to add to your flock. Second, the number of eggs you place under your broody should be determined by how many she can cover and keep warm.

If, after giving it some serious though, you really don't want any more chickens at this time, it would be best for all concerned to break your broody, short circuiting her hormones, so she can get back to normal in just a few short days rather than investing the next three weeks in an endeavor that takes a very serious physical toll on her body for frivolous reasons.

 

[AllenK RGV]

You're doing this so your Silkie will have a "reward" at the end? I doubt she sees it that way. Brooding chicks is based on strong instincts to add to the flock to strengthen and perpetuate it, not as an individual endeavor for personal satisfaction. Chickens don't roll that way.

First, how many eggs, if any, you wish to have your broody hatch should be determined by how many new chickens you wish to add to your flock. Second, the number of eggs you place under your broody should be determined by how many she can cover and keep warm.

If, after giving it some serious though, you really don't want any more chickens at this time, it would be best for all concerned to break your broody, short circuiting her hormones, so she can get back to normal in just a few short days rather than investing the next three weeks in an endeavor that takes a very serious physical toll on her body for frivolous reasons.

Frivolous to you and I but not the wife if we add more my wife might let me cull some undesireables from her flock. Particularly if the run ever becomes devoid of grass and watering it cant keep up with the chicken in there. We have the coop space as they do not roost they just huddle and feed isn't a limitation.

 

[azygous]

So. In reality, your wife is undertaking this as a personal reward to herself. That's obvious. But, I can't fault her too much. There's nothing quite as wonderful as seeing tiny new chicks poking out from under a broody hen.

 

[AllenK RGV]

That and as per chicken custom she is doing it in the favorite nest, so they are still laying under her. DW just doesn't want this one broke.

No clue how that will work I assume at some point she will start henpecking more egg layers away. I'll get some more layer boxes set up later today, I still have another 7 feet to work with on that wall.

 

[Kiki]

That and as per chicken custom she is doing it in the favorite nest, so they are still laying under her. DW just doesn't want this one broke.

No clue how that will work I assume at some point she will start henpecking more egg layers away. I'll get some more layer boxes set up later today, I still have another 7 feet to work with on that wall.

Did you mark this one egg with a permanent marker so you don't accidentally collect the wrong egg?

 

[AllenK RGV]

Did you mark this one egg with a permanent marker so you don't accidentally collect the wrong egg?

Good point, I should mark the eggs under her because she took the favored nest and chicken are laying under her. I'll get to that later today.

 

[AllenK RGV]

Are you giving her large breed eggs or bantam eggs? 6-8 large eggs, 10-12 bantam eggs.

Just the bantam silkie eggs that I have on hand. Thank you for the recommended numbers.

 

[AllenK RGV]

Did you mark this one egg with a permanent marker so you don't accidentally collect the wrong egg?

Thank you so much for the common sense reminder. Poor girl is up to 11 now. My wife had already placed a marker for just that reason in the egg collection basket and says she told me so. I do not recall, but she was ready.

I'm still not betting on too many fertile ones in there as these are young cockerels and I don't see too much mating going on but I do not watch them like a hawk either.