My Silkies Are...Different?

[silkie1472]

I have 3 white silkies that have lived in our garage their entire lives (2 pullets and a cockerel). They started laying about a month ago, and when they started, I put in a nest box. After a week, one of them began using it, but the other still lays wherever she has the urge. With the fear that the rooster would break the eggs, I changed their nest box to a milk crate, but my silkies are not smart enough to use it. The hen that would lay in a nest box prefers it to be Ground level, or otherwise, she will dig a depression in her pine shavings and lay it there. The other hen will not use a nest box regardless. Another thing that I have noticed is that they have no interest in the eggs they lay. When my other silkies have to lay, they roll every egg and golf ball to a certain box before laying and want to go broody, but the white ones do not. So what I am asking is: Will both of my silkies eventually lay in a nest box? (I am willing to have a ground nest box) Another question I have is: Will my silkies ever want to go broody? (They do not have an interest in their eggs at all--they will just lay their egg and leave oppose to rolling it around like my other silkies and leghorns do) Their eggs are fertile. All of them. I have hatched 13/14 chicks from their eggs this year. (One died soon after pipping). Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[silkie1472]

My other silkie are much older as well. So this may have something to do with it. They were raised outside, can jump pretty high, and will roost. The white ones do not even jump more that a foot and would rather pile up. My other silkies prefer to lay in a nest box up off of the ground.

 

[hunnyshell]

My other silkie are much older as well. So this may have something to do with it. They were raised outside, can jump pretty high, and will roost. The white ones do not even jump more that a foot and would rather pile up. My other silkies prefer to lay in a nest box up off of the ground.

 

[LRH97]

Most likely yes to both questions. Some hens are stubborn and lay where they want. If I get a stubborn girl that doesn't like to use the nests (or is just clueless), I put some fake eggs or golf balls in a nest box for encouragement. Eventually they get the idea. Your little Silkie would probably love a ground level nest as well. As for broodiness, it just may take time. The whole egg-laying thing is still sort of new to your two white birds. Once they mature as layers a little more, all of the instincts will start to kick in (nesting etc.) Very rarely have I seen a very young layer go broody.

 

[silkie1472]

Thanks. I will give them their ground nest box back, but I'm hoping that they will learn from the other silkies that they can jump off the ground.