What can I do to get a Broody hen?

[Lady of McCamley]

OP, sorry to intrude in your thread, but Lady of McCamley, how many eggs can you put under a silkie? Mine aren't very big. Last time I got too many eggs, but 2 of my girls teamed up for the job and they are bigger than my silkies. You wouldn't be able to hatch many at once under a silkie, would you? Do silkies "co-parent" like my girls did?

It depends on the Silkie and her fluff and "spread."

I have had Silkie hens that comfortably covered 6 to 8 eggs, though I tend to only place 5 to 6 large size chicken eggs, which could be 7 to 8 medium, as I use my Silkies for expensive breed, purchased eggs, and I don't want to risk any. I tend to use more hens and place fewer eggs for those.

For my barnyard mixes, I would place up to 7 or 8 under a Silkie that spreads well...but 6 is the general average.

My bantam Cochins I place 4 to 5 as I find they have more fluff than sense and tend to lose eggs on the outer perimeters, which means the eggs cool and don't develop properly. I don't experience that with my Silkies.

I have had co-brooders in my Cochins, and currently my Cochin and Silkie co-brood. I have not personally had 2 Silkies co-brood, as I've not had 2 Silkies at the same time but mix of Cochins and Silkie, but the Silkie girl I have now did co-brood with another Silkie. (Like I said, if you need brooding queens, go to a Silkie breeder who almost always has a spare to sell for pretty reasonable).

I LOVE my Silkies for brooding. They are awesome. (My Cochins are good too, just not quite as regular nor as sensible as my Silkies).

Guard your bantams well. I had a really nice brooding stable that a hawk decimated when I released for some free range time. I keep my bantams and chicks covered 24/7 in a netted/wired pen now.

LofMc

 

[eaglemtnchick]

I have buff orphibgtons, silver lace Wyandotte, and some sexlink. Last year in october one of the sexlinks went broody in the neighbors yard, and we wouldn't let her set eggs that late in the season