Silkie sitting on imaginary eggs - now I've put a day old chick under her

[Lin20]

Just to let you all know everything is going well. Here's a pic I took in the first week.

 

[aknewlin]

We had a similar experience with our Silkie. She goes broody every couple of months, and most of the time we break her quickly in her very own "broody-breaking-box" that we keep set up just for her in the garage.

A couple of times we let her hatch eggs, and one time we let her sit on eggs for a few days (unfertile) and then swapped them out for chicks from the feed store. We didn't even wait the three weeks that eggs normally take to hatch when we gave her the chicks. With each experience she was a very good mother with no problem.

We do keep our silkie separate from the other larger hens when she is brooding/hatching eggs because she is a bit of a wimp and we aren't sure that she would protect her babies well.

Good luck!

 

[Lin20]

Thanks. I'll keep that in mind. I know she'll likely get broody again.. Silkies!

 

[drumstick diva]

lots of folks keep silkies to use as natural incubators. They aren't the greatest layers, and when they are broody they don't lay either. But they are generally great mamas. Sometimes a silkie roo will even help out with raising chicks.

 

[Lin20]

That's true. My silkie has been an excellent mum to her adopted chick.