Silkie Hen or Incubator?

[muscovy94]

Anyone else have any opinions on this?

 

[swtangel321]

Most silkies are GREAT sitter, but then again all hens are different. I have a hen that will sit and sit and hatch out anything, shes also a great great mama hen. I have another silkie hen who will sit for 3 days then forget shes broody and go outside for the day and then remember and sit for another 2. It all depends on your birds, if this will be the first time your hens are broody and sitting I would put them in the bator just to be on the safe side. First time broodys arent always that great !! Maybe try giving the broody a few eggs that arent worth so much and see how that goes for next time. JMO !!

 

[CHICKEN little 1]

You can always go 50/50. Half with a Silkie.Half in the bator. Either way it's a chance.

Hatching is always a gamble!

 

[Pumpkinpup]

I'd say put them under the broody but put her in a small pen by herself with only her eggs. That way no one will lay to her and you won't risk her playing picky choosy with your good hatch eggs or breakage from others climbing on and off the nest. You also won't run the risk of others killing the chicks.

 

[chickNjake]

if you go with the Silkie I would seperate her in a cage just big enough for food, water, and a little space for her to walk around, especially if they cost 'a million dollars'

I like the idea of splitting them up, like Wildsky and CHICKEN little 1 said

and if you don't mind, what kind of eggs are they? and how many

 

[Chix-in-GA]

Quote:
Yes, Yes...Inquiring minds want to know!!!

 

[muscovy94]

Quote:
Hey you just said you hatched some eggs in the incubator with a 100% hatch. What percentage of humidity did you use?
Did you use the dry humidity thing?

 

[davidb]

Put the hen in a pen, I never use bators, If God had intended for things to be born in a box he would have packaged things a long time ago

 

[panner123]

Quote:
well I dont know how reliable they would be. I hatched them early summer so they havent started laying or doing anything yet.
Would you still reccommend them even though they are so young?

Once a silkie han goes broody she will do so 2 or 3 times a year. She will do all the work for you and is reliable. Most of the time they go broody after about 2 months of laying. Had I had one broody when I got my BCM eggs, she would have hatched them for my not my bator.

 

[panner123]

Quote:
Hey you just said you hatched some eggs in the incubator with a 100% hatch. What percentage of humidity did you use?
Did you use the dry humidity thing?

All my bator hatches are done using the dry method. A bad hatch rate for me is 80%. Read the thread here on Humidity in the bator..Excellent infro here and follow what Jamie821, Wheaties and I do and you will have good hatch rates. It just takes a few hatchs to get it down. With a little practice your hatch rate will be no less than mine. Remmenber this is not with shippped eggs, they have a much lower hatch rate.