My silkie show bird winners! And is it too early to breed?

[Silkiesarefluffydinos]

I have both a question, and a exciting news!

So, in early June I got one week old black Silkie chicks as show birds I entered them in our state fair, and they both won first place!!! I have a pulley named Willow, and a Cockrel named Juniper! They are almost four months old, on Halloween they will be officially 4 months old!!!!!!

I was also wondering if I bred them in the early spring or almost spring(maybe February or March) would it be to early if the hen is laying? I read in one of Gail Damrow's books that the earliest age you can breed is 7 months old, but the hen has to be laying for 3 weeks beforeally getting eggs to hatch. Do your think that if Willow is 7 months old and has been laying, and I know her eggs are fertilized, since she will be 7 months old in the end of January, so you think that is too early to collect her eggs for hatching in February or March? Should I wait until April of May? They were both Born on May 31st

 

[sourland]

Are you planning on using an incubator or allowing her to brood the eggs ? If the latter, she will determine the time schedule.

 

[Silkiesarefluffydinos]

If she doesn't go broody this year, I might put some eggs under another hen who usually goes broody around the time i'm hoping to have some hatching eggs

 

[N F C]

Congrats on winning 1st place with your Silkies

 

[Silkiesarefluffydinos]

Congrats on winning 1st place with your Silkies

Thank you!!!

The cock is starting to show mating behavior already. Two days ago he tried to mount the hen, and he also was doing the mating dance. I think I need to keep my Silkies seperate frommy the other chuckens permanently instead of temporary, because he is aggressivery towards most of our other hens, except for our Silkies hen.

 

[microchick]

She's a Silkie? She'll go broody. I think it's in their breed contract, isn't it. All Silkies are required to go forth and see how many chicks she can hatch in her life time.

I think it's the same for my OEGB girls only somebody forgot to sign the contract.

 

[Silkiesarefluffydinos]

I'm hoping she'l go broody, and although both silks are healthy, my hen is a little smaller than she should be.. if she does go broody, I'll put a few test eggs first, then the fertilized eggs. Either way, our Astrolorpe goes broody every year, and she should go broody around Feburary/March, and she is a great broody, so I'm going to put eggs
under her definitely. I'm really excited to hatch silkies! My mom has a Co worker who recently got some frizzles, and we are going to trade a few silkies chick's for some frizzles!!!!

 

[N F C]

Frizzles are so cute, hope you get some little ones!

 

[Silkiesarefluffydinos]

I hope so too! But I'm not sure if I'm getting Chick's or adults yet.. hopefully adults!