Just how broody are silkies?

[Roosterboy]

If i got duck eggs(runner, cambell, or muscovy) would a silkie wait the extra time to hatch them?



Edit to add: How would i get her to go broody? would i just put the eggs in a nesting box?

 

[cthrash1]

Mine went broody at 7 mos old and is laying on 8 eggs right now...Didn't do anything special, she just decided one day to sit.

 

[ItsSuzzie]

This is just personal opinion. I have no electric, so hatching was on the girls...will the bird sit on duck eggs? Good question. I have read that a hen will. I did not try this. How do you know if your hen is broady. She will not only sit on the eggs in your nest, she will move them around with her beak and she will attempt to protect them. They say you put your hand under your hen and she will cuddle your hand. My birds just appeared to want the eggs they were on. So I moved the nest with the hen to an area to hatch. I had a leghorn silkie mix hen. She hatched, then slowly she accepted the chicks I bought from our feed store. I remember her having 13 chicks under her. The little legs were cute.

Good luck to you.

 

[AK-Bird-brain]

How broody are Silkies? Just look at them and they go broody. We have a pullet that tried to go broody after laying her first egg. Give them some piece and quiet and they'll sit on an ostrich egg for 2 months if you let them. (no I haven't tried that but can you imagine a Silkie high centered on an egg larger than her?

)

In this instance I would be more worried about the necessary humidity and keeping moisture on the egg during incubation.

 

[Pumpkinpup]

I have seriously considered silkies as broodies. I have never owned but one that I can remember but am told repeatedly that if I want broodies that a silkie is the way to go!

 

[NYREDS]

Silkies go broody if you show them a picture of an egg.
Yes, hens will hatch duck eggs. That's how I hatched all my Indies this year.

 

[cluckychick]

I have a silkie that could of hatched 3 batches of eggs by now

I decided I wasn't gonna hatch anymore till spring so 2 (frizzle and silkie) chickens went broody and are sitting on nothing. I finally gave the silkie an egg just to check fertility.

 

[1Speckled Hen w/Chicks]

Silkies are famous for hatching anything ...and even stealing others eggs to hatch--
I will not give mine eggs to hatch though till spring gets here again ( -just for safety reasons from the cold)
My bantam cochin is the most broody thing I have seen!

 

[PurpleChicken]

My dang splash silkie just went broody. She'd hatch a golf ball.

 

[hcammack]

I am anticipating and broody craze this spring here no silkies but allot of standards that are supposed to be good brooders! I may just be tempted to put a few eggs under some. I want some: Welsummer, Exchequer Leghorn, True RIR, Araucana, BLRW, Buff Orph, Red orph, Lavender Ameraucan, and BBS orph. The horrible thing is I have sources for almost all of these fairly near by

My Marans , Ameraucana, and deleware are all from fairly broody lines and while I was away over the summer the ameraucana went broody but I could not hatch and my mom broke them