How many eggs will a silkie lay before sitting on them?

[cmorg]

Our silkie hen is laying her first clutch, she has laid 8 eggs so far, all in the same spot in a simple looking nest of hay.

I know they're supposed to be good sitters, but 8 eggs so far and she still isn't sitting, how many eggs before she starts to sit? Is there anything I can do to get her to sit?

 

[sutillman]

Mine layed I think 10 or 12 before she finally started sitting. Of course that was here first clutch. Now she'll sit on the first one anybody lays!

 

[australorpchick]

They don't have to lay any. Air will work just fine. One of mine tries to hatch pine shavings.

How old is your hen? My first broody silkie was about 8 months old and then the other two saw and figured it was the new in thing and followed suit.

The other day, another member was able to coax a couple of silkies by putting them in a pen, on top of eggs, when it was dark and the hens were asleep. They woke up and stayed there.

 

[Harrietsmum]

I have a Wyandotte bantam trying to hatch pine shavings at the moment. She has pulled all her chest feathers out and added them to the shavings to help keep them warm!!

 

[proffie floffie]

My little silkie hen is up to 5 eggs, this is her first clutch, super excited!

 

[Dalqueen]

How long should I wait to see if my silkie goes broody

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Sometimes they'll lay 1 or 2, sometimes they'll lay for months or a year before they go broody. They are individuals and theres no set date or number of eggs before
I have a flock of Silkies, they all do their own thing, in their own time.