Is this a sane plan?

[eggspletive!]

I'm a complete beginner, so if this is a stupid idea, please tell me (gently!). I want to end up with no more than five laying hens, but would really like the experience of having a hen brood and raise chicks. So I was wondering if this plan makes sense: I could buy two Silkie pullets now, and then in the spring, hopefully one of them will go broody and I can buy hatching eggs of the other breeds I want to put under her.

Is it reasonable to assume that at least one out of two Silkies would go broody in the spring? Does it work to just put hatching eggs under them when this happens? What are the flaws in this plan?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Super Admin]

We have just done this. We bought hatching eggs for our broody hen. Maybe it was because she was anew mom but... we got only 2 babies out of 12 eggs. I do not know if silkies are prone to go broody, but if not, I would get a hen that will most likly go broody like a buff orpington. You could either get hatching eggs and count the costs (like casualties and roos) or just by day old female chicks and slip them under your broody at night. Watching a hen raise babies is one of the most amazing things!

hope this helps!

 

[joebryant]

That's an excellent plan. All you have to do is sneeze real loud and your silkie will go broody. You can safely put six eggs under a silkie.

EDIT: BTW, I can put chicks straight from the incubator under my silkies, broody or not, and they will cover and care for them just like they hatched them. You might considering ordering chicks instead of eggs if you think your silkies are natural motherers of chicks; mine are.
Also, don't expect all shipped eggs to hatch no matter how well they're packed by the seller. You're dealing with the postal service more than likely, and UPS ain't no better.

BTW, if you put chicks with a silkie, don't have a heat lamp too. Been there. Done that. Big mistake! The chicks went under the heat lamp the next morning, the silkie was insulted and madder'n the proverbial wet hen. I had to get the chicks away and into a separate (asked my wife how to spell it) area, or the silkies would have killed them I'm sure.

 

[eggspletive!]

Thank you! I just ran it past my husband and he's excited about this idea too!

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

If I were you, I'd get more than two silkie pullets.

Just in case something happens to one, you'd have a backup AND you'd increase your chance that at least one of 3 or 4 would go broody and would be a good Mom, and would keep each other company when one is away being broody and raising chicks.

Just be sure to build a preditor proof coop and run using hardware cloth and not chicken/poultry wire. Little silkies would get out of chicken wire AND preditors will get in chicken wire.

Also, make sure you are able to section off the broody and chicks.

WELCOME to BYC. You came to a great place to get info on raising and caring for chickens.

 

[Chickenmaven]

I have four adult silkie hens. THREE have been broody most of the summer!!!

Try local hatching eggs. We hatched out 15 out of 16 this Spring.

 

[eggspletive!]

~*Sweet Cheeks*~ :

Just in case something happens to one, you'd have a backup AND you'd increase your chance that at least one of 3 or 4 would go broody and would be a good Mom, and would keep each other company when one is away being broody and raising chicks.

Oh, I hadn't thought of that--that one will be lonely while the other is brooding. Good point. Thanks.​

 

[noitulover]

i'm not sure this will work too well... (sorry to be a downer!)

there is a chance that this would work perfectly, but there is also a large chance that it won't. Not only do you risk the silkies not going broody, but you also risk that the eggs you put under the silkie will be all roos...

I always see a bunch of people hatch like 50 eggs and are distraught when they end up with around 25+ roos. Odds are 50/50. If you put 3 eggs under your silkie, you could end up with 3 roos, 3 pullets, 2 roos and 1 pullet, 1 roo and 2 pullets... you just never know. It depends where you live how easy it will be to sell your extra roosters; unless you plan on culling or eating.

just some things to think about...

if i were you, i would go to somewhere like mypetchicken.com and order 5 sexed pullets. that way your odds go up to something like 90% chance they WILL be pullets...

 

[joebryant]

Quote:

I agree, being as I have an over-abundance of roosters every time I use the incubator or a broody hen. Luck just ain't with me!

 

[BirdMom]

Silkies are really fun to have. They are one of the broodier breeds. I wouldn't worry about the extra roos, they're very tasty and grow fast!