mating non broody americauna hens with silkie? first time questions

[matzoball95]

I’m wondering if my non broody hens would actually brood the eggs if I left them? I have a silkie rooster who I'm hoping is breeding them (anyone have experience with a bantam breeding standards?) If they do start to brood would there be a way to have only one of them brood? I wouldn’t want all of them to stop laying (there are only 4 and they all lay in the same spot in the coop).

 

[pennyJo1960]

Could possibly I have 4 silkie and all four of them will co brood had one still laying to start now all four a brooding yes they lay in the same spot

 

[TwoChicksChix]

Brooding is completely up to the chicken. Sometimes leaving the eggs can encourage a chicken to go broody, but there’s no tested and true method to cause it.

There’s also no guarantee that only one will go broody at any one moment. You of course can break others of their broodiness, but they will still stop laying for a short period.

 

[MichelleBelle]

I have both silkies and Ameraucanas, and there's no trouble with the silkie rooster mounting my Ameraucana hens. I have an incubator, so that's the method I've used to hatch out the adorable chicks. My silkie/Ameraucana cross babies, or "Silkicana" as I call them, are the best of both varieties. I just adore them

 

[BaaKaaawk]

Any roo is going to do just about anything in his power to mount your hens. If they're in the same space together, magic will happen. Chicken land is not much different than people land. Just a bit less manners.

Trying to make a hen go broody on the other hand is like throwing dust in the wind...

 

[matzoball95]

I have both silkies and Ameraucanas, and there's no trouble with the silkie rooster mounting my Ameraucana hens. I have an incubator, so that's the method I've used to hatch out the adorable chicks. My silkie/Ameraucana cross babies, or "Silkicana" as I call them, are the best of both varieties. I just adore them

groovy, are they consistent egg layers?

 

[matzoball95]

Brooding is completely up to the chicken. Sometimes leaving the eggs can encourage a chicken to go broody, but there’s no tested and true method to cause it.

There’s also no guarantee that only one will go broody at any one moment. You of course can break others of their broodiness, but they will still stop laying for a short period.

Thanks, Will try leaving some dummy eggs out. Not sure how humane it is, but I wonder if one was to put a hen in a small cage with the eggs for the 3 weeks, if she would in essence be forced to brood them (minus turning- I guess a person could do that). Wouldn’t do it but curious if it would work

 

[TwoChicksChix]

Not really, because a chicken removes certain feathers to make sure their breast is warm enough and to make sure the humidity is good.

They also won’t really choose to lay in the eggs, instead choosing to stand and walk around. Probably crushing the eggs.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Bad idea that would be mean in my book

 

[matzoball95]

Not really, because a chicken removes certain feathers to make sure their breast is warm enough and to make sure the humidity is good.

They also won’t really choose to lay in the eggs, instead choosing to stand and walk around. Probably crushing the eggs.

got it! gonna make a homemade incubator