Silkies?

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

I have the 2 silkie hens and roo in a separate run area and coop from my other chickens. Will I be able to just leave her in her coop on her nest with the other hen and roo?

Yes, Silkies are usually great mothers and mother should protect her chicks from the other hen no problem and rooster usually doesn't bother chicks. .. Just collect eggs daily (just keep on your bench and turn daily) and when one goes broody set how many you want (probably up to 8 eggs for normal size Silkie) pick the freshest ones you have and make sure you mark the eggs so if your other hen lays in her nest you can take those fresh ones away ..you don't want a staggered hatch.

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

I got them Friday and was told the white one should be laying fertile eggs for 10 days. Today is Sunday and I haven’t gotten any eggs from either hens. Is it normal that she hasn’t laid any yet? They have a coop with 2 nesting boxes, food and water and a roost. Maybe she’s not comfortable? She been eating, drinking and grazing on grass and bugs since I got her. Even almost comes up to me when I go out to the run and talk to them. I forgot to ask if the grey is laying, because my boyfriend has always told me no to roosters and they would only be sold as a pair. I was just so excited when he told me to go ahead and get the pair I didn’t ask any questions about them.

Can take a while for chickens to settle in a new place/coop, give it time.

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

So she won’t go broody after laying the first egg?

Well not usually no. How old are they? .. some of mine go broody every 8 eggs they lay, some less often.

 

[ChickCrazyWorryWort]

Well not usually no. How old are they? .. some of mine go broody every 8 eggs they lay, some less often.

I was told the white one is a year and a half and the other two are about a year. They also told me the white one is very broody and lays lots of eggs.

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

I was told the white one is a year and a half and the other two are about a year. They also told me the white one is very broody and lays lots of eggs.

Oh thats good then, sounds like once they are settled in and back to laying you'll have a broody in no time! .. You could put some fake eggs in a nest box to encourage them to think it's safe and to lay there.

I was lucky when I bought an old Silkie hen (4 years old) she laid an egg the day after she was at my place! She is often broody too and still a great layer years later! Another I got off same lady was 3 years old and laid through Winter.

 

[Chicalina]

Yay for the first egg!!

If you want eggs to eat, just collect them every day.

If you want her to go broody and hatch chicks, then put some fake eggs in her nest until you are sure she is properly broody, and then swap them for fertile eggs. This may take a few weeks for her hormones to kick in.

 

[ChickCrazyWorryWort]

Yay for the first egg!!

If you want eggs to eat, just collect them every day.

If you want her to go broody and hatch chicks, then put some fake eggs in her nest until you are sure she is properly broody, and then swap them for fertile eggs. This may take a few weeks for her hormones to kick in.

Awesome thank you!

 

[Chicalina]

All you can do really is wait.

You could confine her to a crate or nest box, but that is unlikely to work unless she has already started to go broody. It can help to 'set' the hormones.

 

[Chicalina]

When the hormones start and they feel broody, they will literally try and hatch stones, golf balls, anything round! They don't know if an egg is fertile or not.

She is a silkie. It's only a matter of time before she feels broody. Be patient!

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

We are now up to 5 real eggs with 4 fakes eggs so 9 total. Neither silkie has gone broody. The only time they go lay on the eggs is when they are laying a new egg and at night when they are sleeping. I go and turn the eggs often everyday, but the eggs are cold to the touch. What is the likelihood these eggs will hatch? I tried candling egg number 1 today but didn’t see anything. Thinking about opening egg number 5 to see if it’s fertile and if it is start incubation all new eggs? I’ve never hatched chicks before and I was hoping one of the silkies would go broody, but not having much luck. Worried the eggs are just sitting in there rotting.

The eggs should be fine to hatch up to 2 weeks from when it was laid, good you are turning them daily, but would be better if you just took away each freshly laid egg and kept them in order so you know which is freshest so when she does go broody you can set the freshest ones under her all at the same time... You just need to be patient and she will go broody in time.