Silkies as incubators

[SA newbie]

Hi all hoping someone can give advise on using silkie hens to brood on eggs from my BA's. Incubators a terrible price and have known of other people who used the silkies mother instinct to brood out other chickens and guineafowl eggs! Any and all advise will be appreciated. If I can use them how many eggs will be enough?

 

[jm93030]

Silkies are very good setters

They will get broody on any egg sometimes even rocks

The number of eggs will depend on the size of the hen and the egg too

just make sure she can cover them all


and place the nest where no other hens will lay

silkes have the tendecy to sit on someones else eggs and leave her own nest

I will recomend 1 are for herself ,dont put 2 or 3 silkies in the same are , because when 1 of them goes out to eat and stretch othe one of the other silkies will leave her own nest and take over that one

you can also get figths over the nest and get eggs crack.


hope this helps

and this is based on my experince with my girls

someone else may have a diferent story

 

[SA newbie]

Thanks, off to pet shop tomorrow to see if they have! BA 'Holly' laid on Sunday and Monday- not today, will those two eggs still be viable on Thursday? She didn't lay today- Tuesday evening now- no idea what the time difference is!

 

[jm93030]

eggs can be stored up to 10 days and still be viable.