The Poultry Keeper

Woodburner · Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 7:39 pm Post subject:

My silkies started laying in the middle of january but haven't laid a single egg for the last 3 days.
Despite the fact that they have no eggs to sit on (yet Wink

) they are clearly broody! Not coming out until they are forced out, pecking at intruding hands rather than trying to get away, all fluffed up and making different noises from before and the really big giveaway : humungous poos!!! Laughing

Fortunately I have just been given an ark with an extension so I can put some eggs under them without having to panic about where I will put any chicks once they start getting bigger.
I have a question tho: Is it ok to let them stay together sharing a clutch of eggs or should I put one of them in the other coop and split the eggs between them?
Also how many normal sized eggs can a silkie (or two together Surprised

) "accomodate"?

vanessa · Joined: 24 Sep 2005 Posts: 1269 Location: Correze

Personally, I'd put broodies separate. Just in case they get jealous of each other's eggs and the eggs get broken.

Gilly C · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 2671 Location: South Cumbria

I would say no more than 9 eggs , on occasions I have left 2 sitting together in the same hut and both times they were stealing eggs off each other even once from one nestbox to another so my advice would be to seperate them even if you just use a temporary divider, once mine have eggs they refuse to leave them so | make a point of lifting them so as not to soil the eggs I also give them tinned or frozen sweetcorn mixed with pellets and since doing this they have kept better condition, I also continue to do this once the chicks arrive as I have lost 2 broodies who starved themselves to feed the chicks but they cannot resist sweetcorn I also give them maggotts or mealworms if I can get them

kated · Joined: 01 Nov 2006 Posts: 2089 Location: norfolk

Having just last year had two japanese hens share 3 eggs between them, I would say that if the hens normally get on ok, then it works rather well to have two hens bringing up the chicks together. Mine looked to either hen for warmth and protection and both hens looking for titbits meant that the chicks were very well fed! I would say 1 silkie would be able to cover 5 large fowl eggs maximum, but silkies vary in size as do the eggs you have to put under. Put eggs under the silkie until she isn't covering them and see how many that is!

Sparklepeeps · Joined: 17 Jan 2007 Posts: 1967 Location: Cheshire

I bought my silkyX complete with chicks, she didnt incubate them, she was just given the chicks when they hatched. She had 12 of them!!! and managed well!

Gilly C · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 2671 Location: South Cumbria

I put mine together once they have hatched I was gobsmacked that they managed to move the eggs but they were clearly labelled and the evidence was there to see, one got left on the floor but I must have found it it time as they all hatched

Woodburner · Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 10:03 pm Post subject:

Thanks for all the replies, and so speedy too! Smile

As I have the option I think I will play safe and separate them, I'm not sure how many eggs I will put under each, I need a large run. Laughing

Welsh Duck · Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 10:06 pm Post subject:

good to see you back woodburner. Very Happy

I'm my experience its better to seperate broodies as they steal the eggs from each other. some get broken etc etc

Woodburner · Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2008 10:20 pm Post subject:

thanks. I haven't really been away I've been browsing pretty regularly but have been unable to log in/post except with IE which I don't like. Some kind of issue with firefox and these forums, which seems to have resolved itself finally. Smile