OK, so every year that i hatch silkie eggs something comes out wrong. here are my 2 stories Story 1: the first time ever that i tried to hatch silkies i got 15 eggs off of ebay. When i candled them 12 were fertile. out of 12 eggs i was left with 3 beautiful chicks. sadly i couldnt keep them Story 2: So a year after that i said hmmm..... lets try again. so then i went on ebay and found 12+ silkie eggs. i bought them. when the delivery man was coming up my step the package flew out and i opened the door as fast as i could and i caught them. then me and the deilivery guy cracked a few jokes and then he left (he was rly funny) When i opend the box to see the condition of the eggs they looked good. nothing was cracked but the eggs were a little dirty so i did do what you are suppost to. take a damp wash clothe and rub really gently. so i did it to the realllyyyy soiled spots. i turned the incubator on and i kept the eggs at room temp for 2 days. when the incubator was just right i put them in and the temp never moved up a degree or down. when i candled they they ALL were fertile. so another 7 days passed and it was time for them to hatcg. im waiting and waiting finally one pops out. BUT............. He was born with his inside on the outside of him. i hand fed him for 2 months but then you could tell he was in a lot of pain because his insides (outsides) were dryin up so i had to put him to sleep. Is there a special way you have to hatch silkie eggs?
I have had major probs with Silkie eggs in the past especially ones from Ebay, I've had deformities, crosses and just weak chicks which I put down to maybe inbreeding on the part of the seller. This time I bought them from a man I know who has beautiful birds and is very picky about which birds he breeds with. I had 6 eggs and I now have 5 of the most beautiful little chicks I've ever seen. So maybe it might be worth buying eggs from someone you can really trust (maybe someone on here has some) and see if that improves things for you
I have bought silkie eggs from some of the best people here on BYC. They are difficult to hatch and very difficult to raise. I've had so many problems! None with other breeds. But they are worth it! I wouldn't buy on Ebay. Just my opinion. You never know what you're getting. I bought one set of eggs on Ebay and had none hatch (not silkies). It's the only time that's happened. I usually have a wonderful hatch rate.
I ordered 12+ silkie eggs from eBay last year and had none hatch, so I don't think I would buy eggs from there again. I ordered 3 dozen hatching eggs from BYC members this year and I bet I will have a good percentage hatch. I did do a lot of research though before I made my purchase this year. I made use of the feedback section and made sure I bought from reputable people. This year I took advantage of CJExotic's weekend silkie egg sale for 2 dozen and was able to get a spot on her list. I also ordered another dozen LF eggs from another BYC member. Shipped eggs are always a gamble as we all know the PO isn't always very good to our boxes no matter how carefully they are packed and marked. Hang in there and keep trying, it will pay off sometime. It can be very heartbreaking but also very rewarding. Silkie eggs are no different from any other eggs in regards to hatching. I had one hatch out from a broody 3 weeks ago just fine and I have about 10 in the bator now with all the others sitting in the egg turner rack the same way as the others. I don't find them very hard to raise, I don't treat them (babies or adults) any different from my other birds. They are very hardy, able to take cold and hot temps, some of my silkies are high up in the pecking order. My mixed flock contains EE's, BO's, Polish Crested, Silkies, and MF D'uccles. This is just my own opinion based on my experience with having silkies and other chickens. Keep positive, keep trying, some time along the way it will all work out and your joy will be endless.
I have also had problems with silkie eggs. Even when they are my OWN eggs! I finally gave up on silkies all together a few years ago
