WTB-Bearded Silkie Hatching Eggs

[BawGock]

Hello,
I'm looking for 12-24 Bearded Silkie hatching eggs from show stock.
I would prefer Buff but would definitely consider other colors. Even a variety pack

My daughter is showing poultry in 4H and I would love for her to start out with quality birds.
Thanks!
Carolyn

 

[SilkieTime]

I don't have eggs yet and don't live close. I just wanted to say

look at that chicken. What is that? It's biger then most dogs. Must be sweet. So cool.

 

[BawGock]

Thanks!
That's John our BO rooster and he's a big puppy dog rooster.

Carolyn

 

[destiny_56085]

I hate to burst your bubble. If you get eggs now, you are looking at a few days to get them to you and 3 weeks in the incubator. Earliest they will be out of the shell is mid-february. I know most 4-H fairs are july/august. You are looking at showing 5-6 month old birds. I know on my silkies, esp with the better quality ones, that you can barely tell the cockerels from the pullets at that stage. Silkie pullets at generally ready for the show ring by about 6-8 months and cockerels by 10 months. They hit a molt around that 6-7 month age range here too. If you plan on the egg route, you need to have them hatching the first couple weeks of January to be ready for 4-H shows. You might be better off finding some young stock. Just a suggestion....

 

[BawGock]

Thanks Destiny,
Yeah, I have been calculating that out, too. So my bubble isn't too big.

I'm not sure why but her poultry group isn't compiling an order for chicks until the first week of Feb which also will put them in the fair with young birds also.

My daughter is 7 1/2 so she is still a Cloverbud who will not be able to do fitting and showing with the big kids, her birds will be in open. Originally I thought I'd have her enter some of our standard size birds.
But the group leader is insisting that the kids have bantams which are smaller for them to handle in fitting. We both love bearded silkies so that's what I'm trying to get. I haven't found any locally so I thought I'd go the egg route.
You're right though, I will expand my search to chicks/young birds.

I figure it this way, even if her birds are not mature enough for the fair, she'll enjoy learning the showing and fitting with the silkies and be ready with good quality mature birds next fair.
Carolyn

 

[destiny_56085]

Sounds like a good plan. Some breeds mature much faster and are ready for the show ring sooner. Silkies just aren't one of those breeds. At least she will have a good start for next year!