Umm...Now what do I do? New silkies and I have no idea what I got into!

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farmchik

farmchik

Hatching
6 Years
Mar 28, 2013
5
0
7
I have been wanting chickens for a very long time (had a huge flock when I was a child) so I did some research on what bread or crosses I wanted to concentrate on silkies and bantam cochens. Built a small coop after deciding that a flock of 4 bantam chickens would be all I wanted, 1 roo and 3 hens. So about 3 weeks ago I got the pair I have now. Two 1 year old silkies a roo and a hen. Now I'm at a total loss at what I might be doing wrong. I let them free range on good days, the get plenty of layer crumbles and lot's of goodies from the compost, oyster shells and even scratch grain as a treats. I was told that she was laying and might need some time to readjust to her new home and coop. Yet still no eggs, not even an attempt at using the boxes. Is there anything I can do to help her feel more "at home" and maybe even spur her on to lay or even get broody? The broody-ness is kinda the whole resin I chose the breeds I did. I'd like to have them hatch chicks for other members of our family. We share a homestead and each house hold tries to specialize in one thing that will benefit all. I'm afraid if they don't lay and hatch out some chicks I'll be encouraged to eat them, but there so cute I really don't want it to come to that. Please help




 
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for one thing you have to realize that silkies are not known to be great layers - they are mostly eye candy not production breed. Secondly they aren't machines, you can't just tell them to go broody. Despite their reputation, that they are great broodies, doesn't mean every silkie hen goes broody. Also not all of them know how to be good mamas. etc.etc.

Silkies are air and fluffy, I don't think you would get much to eat . It wouldn't be worth the effort. It's still early for your birds to be feeling comfortable in their new home. Did you ask the seller if they were good layers, or had gone broody? When a hen is feeling really broody they don't need eggs to sit on, they will try to hatch, rocks, golf balls, invisible eggs. That's when you can slip some other eggs under them for hatching.
 
Are they going in the nesting boxes and have a roost and all that? Is the roost above the nesting box? (sorry if this seems like common sense i know, but that seems to be a big culprit for not egg laying on here) I heard silkies do not lay eggs as often as other chickens like bantams. Also if you got the pair past their egg laying prime age... Silkies I thought laid small eggs and not that many. I could be wrong though.
 
I was told not to put in roosting bars in the coop for silkies as they don't care for it. I have and "A" frame coop and there is no room for roosts now, I would have to do a remodle to squeeze. I have small boxes on one side and on the other side is a flat ledge with hay and shavings on it as the book's described. As for the information I got from the seller it was very limited, I bought them at auction and they seller was not present at the time of sale. They did state the age of the birds and that the hen was laying when they where brought to the auction but that's all the information I have.
 
Hello and welcome to BYC
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Give your hens time. It can take awhile for them to settle into a new home. Hopefully they will reward your patience soon.
 
Welcome to BYC. Are you positive about the sex of your silkies? It's hard to tell from the pictures that you have posted.
 
It took my friends new fully grown chickens a year until they settled down and laid, or maybe you were sold very old chickens, that first one does look a little grey lol :)
 
Hmm If the previous owner had a timer with a light on it and now they dont, it might have an effect on their egg laying. This is just what I have read. I know they don't lay many eggs very often and when they do they are small eggs. There are several breeds out there that are awesome large high production egg layers... I got a silkie but she's mostly for decoration :). I can't think of anythin u are doing wrong... Keep us updated if she lays. I am curious.
 

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