Silkie Help Please!!

[spydertoys]

I have two White Bearded Silkie hens. One gave me about 6 eggs maybe a month ago and none since. I haven't gotten any from the other hen. The lady I purchased these birds from told me they were laying. It took a month before I got those 6 eggs. They appear to be young birds..both of the Roos I also purchased from her seem to be young by the spur length.

When I asked her about it she said they were very temperamental layers (meaning Silkies in general) and that they didn't like change.
And of course the power went off during the incubation process so none of the Silkie eggs hatched..although the chicked were fully formed.

This is my first time owning Silkies so I am in the dark. Does anyone have any tricks to get them laying again?? They are fed primarily layer with a bit of chicken chocolate (scratch) daily.

Lots of Silkie experts here..c'mon Silkie Moms!!!

 

[vfem]

I moved one silkie bird in with us a month or so ago. She was laying age but didn't lay yet. I think the move stressed her and she continued not laying until after she turned 30 weeks. We've been getting 2 days of eggs and a day off then 2 more days of laying since. We had a tropical storm come through last night and she was definitely stressed and jumpy this morning... no egg, and it was day two.


Just have patience... keep giving layer pellet or mash, oyster shell if they need it (for calcium which they need rather then grit so much at this age) and give the girls some treats. Fresh grass and stuff!

They'll become more and more comfortable. Give them a week or 2. (Also, make sure they aren't molting now... they usually don't lay then!)

 

[spydertoys]

These girls have been with me for more than 2 months already..perhaps I didn't make that clear. They are allowed to free range although they don't go too far they do go out daily.

As I stated..one of them did give me 6 eggs after I had her for about a month. Then she stopped and I haven't gotten any more, and the other girl has not laid at all. Seems that 2 months should be adequate time to settle in.

If anyone has any further ideas..please let me know.
Thanks!

 

[beakkeeper]

Did you feed fruit? That can stop a layer for a while...

 

[spydertoys]

Yes..I have fed fruit on occasion..but it never affected my other layers??
I have fed them leftover cantaloupe and watermelon...but not recently.

 

[luvmychicknkids]

If it has been extremely hot where you are that can cause it, too. I know with my chickens (and with my mother's) it seems that some breeds are more sensitive to the heat and will completely stop laying. I don't know about Silkies, but that is a possibility.

 

[spydertoys]

Thanks for all your input..guess I will have to wait and see what happens when it cools down a bit.

 

[spydertoys]

The only thing I can think of is that it pays to complain. I caught one of the Silkie mama's playing in the nest today. She was re-shaping it, and making it comfy. So I tossed some fresh hay in there and she immediately went to work. I can only assume she has some plans for it in the near future.

Happy camper!!

 

[spydertoys]

Yup..she left me an egg yesterday!

 

[vfem]

Those silkies can be tempermental... but if they love ya, they'll come through.