Silkie thread!

[Ponyfeather]

Adorable aliens.

 

[Hinotori]

Very adorable until they come demanding 'protection' payments like a gang.

"You want in? Give us scratch"

 

[NNYchick]

I have questions about putting eggs under a broody. I have 2 Broodies currently and I have 7 eggs in the incubator due to hatch this weekend. I also have 9 3 week old chicks in the brooder. I know, I know I got chick fever. My original plan was to move the 4 week olds out to sectioned off area of the coop and put the hatched chicks in the brooder. Now I’m having second thoughts and thinking of putting the eggs under a broody to hatch. Do you separate your broody and chicks for awhile or do you leave them with the flock. How do I pick which broody it’s first time for both.

 

[Hinotori]

I have questions about putting eggs under a broody. I have 2 Broodies currently and I have 7 eggs in the incubator due to hatch this weekend. I also have 9 3 week old chicks in the brooder. I know, I know I got chick fever. My original plan was to move the 4 week olds out to sectioned off area of the coop and put the hatched chicks in the brooder. Now I’m having second thoughts and thinking of putting the eggs under a broody to hatch. Do you separate your broody and chicks for awhile or do you leave them with the flock. How do I pick which broody it’s first time for both.

Ive found the broodies prefer being separate for a bit. It all depends on your setup and birds though. I have a hen that will steal chicks to raise even if she wasnt broody.

During the cold they are better with the rest of the flock, though. At least in my flocks, everyone lets chicks sleep under them at night. The roosters themselves tend to be a chick magnet at night.

As for which first time broody. Toss a coin. That's how I do it unless one is a daughter of one of my best broodies.

 

[NNYchick]

Ive found the broodies prefer being separate for a bit. It all depends on your setup and birds though. I have a hen that will steal chicks to raise even if she wasnt broody.

During the cold they are better with the rest of the flock, though. At least in my flocks, everyone lets chicks sleep under them at night. The roosters themselves tend to be a chick magnet at night.

As for which first time broody. Toss a coin. That's how I do it unless one is a daughter of one of my best broodies.

As of tonight I have 3 broodies, I guess I won’t be getting very many eggs anytime soon. I took the eggs out of the incubator and put them under the hen in the easiest box separate if I need to put up the dog yard. I will watch closely and see if I need to do that. Im opening the window in the brooder room to a start accumulating the chicks, soon I should be able to put them out in a separated area in the coop. In the next couple weeks when all littles are out there the chicks will out number the adults.

 

[Little Coop on Salt Creek]

Howdy all,

I am getting ready to have our Silkie girls finally be able to get their wish... sitting on eggs with a hopeful outcome (not the big mean human who takes all my eggs away... every day!).

So, here is our situation. My husband is coming home from a long distance business trip in 2 days where he is picking up 9 combined Silkie, Frizzle, Showgirl hatching eggs for us and driving home with them about 6 hours. Yes, He loves me just that much! I presently have 2 Silkies who want to do nothing but sit in their nests and 1 Buff Orpington that seems close behind and a Black Australorp close behind her. Hoping one of these gals will be more than happy to sit for us. We presently have 5 nest boxes for 22 girls to share. My plan was to put a nest box in our our built in brooder box with food and water for whatever hen will be the mama. We are planning to keep 2 of the hatch and selling the rest. I am curious about a couple of things:

1. What is the best way to get our broody to accept the eggs? Do I just slip them under her any time of the daytime hours? And if so, would I let her accept them in the nest box she chooses and then move her to the broody box location?

2. If more than 1 girl wants to sit, will it be hard to only have 4 out of my 5 boxes available for actual egg laying?

Any other tips and suggestions are welcome. I'd definitely like to hear from experienced broody hatchers.

 

[FishMtFarm]

If anyone is looking for gorgeous Silkie Roos, I have quite a few really nice boys for sale at $5 a piece. Some are from magnolia silkies. I have so many boys that I finally had to sit down and decide which ones to part with. I have buff, white, partridge, and a gorgeous young paint. Am NPIP so can ship.

 

[FishMtFarm]

Howdy all,

I am getting ready to have our Silkie girls finally be able to get their wish... sitting on eggs with a hopeful outcome (not the big mean human who takes all my eggs away... every day!).

So, here is our situation. My husband is coming home from a long distance business trip in 2 days where he is picking up 9 combined Silkie, Frizzle, Showgirl hatching eggs for us and driving home with them about 6 hours. Yes, He loves me just that much! I presently have 2 Silkies who want to do nothing but sit in their nests and 1 Buff Orpington that seems close behind and a Black Australorp close behind her. Hoping one of these gals will be more than happy to sit for us. We presently have 5 nest boxes for 22 girls to share. My plan was to put a nest box in our our built in brooder box with food and water for whatever hen will be the mama. We are planning to keep 2 of the hatch and selling the rest. I am curious about a couple of things:

1. What is the best way to get our broody to accept the eggs? Do I just slip them under her any time of the daytime hours? And if so, would I let her accept them in the nest box she chooses and then move her to the broody box location?

2. If more than 1 girl wants to sit, will it be hard to only have 4 out of my 5 boxes available for actual egg laying?

Any other tips and suggestions are welcome. I'd definitely like to hear from experienced broody hatchers.

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I would move the broody to where you want her to lay and give her dummy eggs. Give her 24 hours to make sure she will sit, as moving them sometimes stresses them and it breaks their broodiness. Once she sits on her dummy eggs and builds up her nest around her, and you know she is content sitting there, slip her the eggs you wanna hatch, preferably at night.

 

[Little Coop on Salt Creek]

I would move the broody to where you want her to lay and give her dummy eggs. Give her 24 hours to make sure she will sit, as moving them sometimes stresses them and it breaks their broodiness. Once she sits on her dummy eggs and builds up her nest around her, and you know she is content sitting there, slip her the eggs you wanna hatch, preferably at night.

I have standard size eggs... the ones I put in the nest boxes to encourage laying. Will 1 or 2 of them work?

 

[FishMtFarm]

Yup they sure will. That's what I use with my silkies.