Silkie went broody! QUESTION

[SundownWaterfowl]

How many call duck eggs can a silkie sit on. My splash silkie went broody yesterday and today I put eggs under her. I put 4 call duck eggs but am wondering if i could fit 5 or 6. What do you all think? This is my first time using a silkie to hatch call duck eggs, usually I just let my call ducks or incubators do the job.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Also, what are signs that she is broody. I dont think that she was off the nest all day long, or last night, also she sits on the eggs all puffed up. Yesterday morning she was on her nest and I tried to take her egg and she flew out of the nest, but today she just sits there.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Doesnt anybody know?

 

[perfectly_polish]

She sure does sound broody to me. The amound of eggs depends on how big the eggs are and how big the hen is. I found my silkie/cochin mix sitting on about 20 eggs once. They can sit on more eggs then we can think they can. Good luck

 

[happyhens]

If she stays on the nest at night instead of roosting with the other chickens, chances are she is broody. Other signs of broodiness include-
1. Not coming off the nest during the day, except for one or two short periods of time where she puffs up at all the other chickens and squawks bloody murder if she thinks one of them gets a little too close, finds something to eat in a mad dash, grabs a few drinks and rushes back to the nest.
2. Not wanting you near the nest, puffing up at you and squawking loudly.
3. Not wanting any other chickens near the nest.
4. She stops laying eggs.
Good luck! Call ducks are neat birds.
Edited to add- If the nest is deep, she can incubate more eggs. I'm not sure how big Call duck eggs are, so I don't know how many she can brood.