Are silkie chickens broody?
The Silkie chicken breed is known as a “broody breed.” Silkie hens can often be seen sitting on a clutch of eggs, trying to hatch them out, even if they are not fertile. Silkie hens are very motherly and will sit on any coop mates eggs to try to hatch them out.
What is a silky hen?
Silkies are a breed of chicken that goes broody regularly. This is important to know because the first time you experience it you may fear that your hen has developed some strange malady . I have people call me and are sure that something terrible is wrong with their silkie hen because she is acting so strangely.
Can silkie chickens hatch other chickens eggs?
Usually kept as ornamental or pet chickens, they are also fantastic mothers and can be used to hatch the eggs of other chickens and poultry breeds. This section will explore everything you need to know about common colors, characteristics, and appearances of the Silkie chicken breed.
Are silkie chickens a good breed to raise?
Although Silkie chickens differs greatly from other popular breeds, making it one of the less common breeds you can raise, it is a one-of-a-kind option that every homesteader should consider for their backyard flock. What Is It Like to Own a Silkie Chicken?
What is a silkie chicken?
Silkies are a breed of chicken that goes broody regularly. This is important to know because the first time you experience it you may fear that your hen has developed some strange malady . I have people call me and are sure that something terrible is wrong with their silkie hen because she is acting so strangely.
Why do hens go broody?
A hen goes broody when she wants to set continuously on a clutch of eggs for 21 days and to have chicks hatch out. She may be sitting on real eggs, fake eggs, or imaginary eggs. Her hormones are telling her it is time to become a mother and nothing is going to deter her from her goal.
How to tell if a hen is broody?
The best way to tell if a hen has gone broody is when she wants to stay in her nest spot at all times. Even at night she will still be sitting in her corner. She’ll pull her feathers out, flatten her body over her eggs, growl or shriek if disturbed and peck or bite any hand that comes close.
How long does a hen's broody period last?
She will lay an egg every day. This is her clutch. Then she will settle down to business and won’t be moved. The broody period typically lasts for three weeks.
How to break a broody hen?
The best way to break a broody hen is to contain her in a wire bottomed cage. Put it up on a saw horse so that air can flow underneath . This air flow will help to cool down her vent area. A bird or parrot cage is often used. The best would be a rabbit hutch that is already up on legs. People call these cages “Broody Breakers.” Make sure that she has food and water but no bedding.
Where is VJP poultry located?
VJP Poultry is an NPIP and state inspected hatchery located 30 miles north of St. Paul. We hatch out silkies all year long so we always have stock available. Like us on Facebook to get weekly updates on what we currently have for sale.
How to break a hen's nest?
Remove the hen from the nest and put her out in the run with lots of interesting treats to eat. Put frozen water bottles or ice cubes in the nest. Remove all nesting material and close down that area of the coop.
What Is It Like to Own a Silkie Chicken?
This section explores the personality, broodiness, and temperament of Silkie chickens.
What breed of chicken has a toe on the back of the leg?
Silkies aren’t the only chicken breed to exhibit this unique quality – other breeds like Sultans, Faverolles, and Dorking chickens also have this characteristic.
How long does it take for a baby silkie to hatch?
Baby Silkies: Raising Silkies as Chicks. By Wim Lewis from Seattle, USA – A fuzzy baby chicken (and its mom), CC BY 2.0. Silkie eggs take about 21 days to hatch. In some cases, they may take a little bit longer if you are using a broody hen or even an unreliable incubatorto hatch your eggs.
What are the characteristics of a silkie chicken?
One of the most distinguishing features of the Silkie chicken is the muff of ear feathers and beard that each of these chickens possesses . If you are keeping Silkie chickens for poultry shows or breeding purposes, your birds must have these traits in order to qualify.
Why is my Silkie chicken bullied?
Interactions & Temperament. Because Silkie chickens are so docile and friendly, this, unfortunately, leads to them being bullied frequently by other breeds. It may be best to avoid keeping a Silkie chicken in a mixed flock, as this can cause some dominance issues.
What is the name of the chicken on the Silk Road?
A popular trade item on the Silk Road, the geography of the Silkie chicken lends itself naturally to the name of this breed.
Why are silkies raised?
Because Silkies are excellent mothers, they are often raised to rear the offspring of other birds, including ducks, geese, and other chicken breeds.
How long do silkies live?
Silkies live on average about 9 years, but with lots of TLC have been known to live even longer! Some people think of Silkies as fragile chickens, but they can be pretty tough, spunky little chickens, standing up for themselves, not always at the bottom of the pecking order.
When do silkies lay eggs?
Silkies begin laying eggs on average by 7-9 months. This is a little later than the average chicken which is around 6 months. Some Silkie owners even find that they don’t see their first egg until about 1 year. Weather can affect when a hen begins laying. When the daylight hours get shorter and the weather is cooler, chickens will wait until the following Spring to begin laying.
Why is my silkie broody?
Naturally a hen would lay a clutch of eggs and then sit on them to incubate until chicks hatch. It’s also not just a behavioral change either - a hen’s actually physiology changes in order to help her successful rear her offspring. This is also why it can be extremely hard to stop a silkie being broody because you’re not only dealing with simply stopping her getting to the nest and eggs. She has actually physically changed, producing more heat and losing feathers on her chest in order to incubate the eggs.
How to prevent broodiness?
A quick and easy way to try and prevent broodiness occurring once the first signs appear is to block access to the nestbox. Unfortunately this simply isn’t possible in many situations. If you have an entire coop of hens, for example, blocking a nestbox for one broody will mean none of the other chickens can gain access to lay their eggs.
How long do silkies stay in jail?
Silkies, in particular, can be very hard to break from broodiness so she may have to stay in broody jail for several days, possibly even a fortnight. Remember to consider your hens welfare at all times ; if it is going on for too long, you may need to change your approach.
How to tell if a hen is sitting in her nest?
Signs to look out for include your hen sitting in her nest more than usual, laying an egg and not coming off it straight away, reluctance to get off the nest when you put your hand in, and increased vocalisation towards you. Hens will also raise their neck feathers more, especially when they start to cluck at you, and when you remove her from the nest, her feathers will be more puffed up than normal.
Do silkie hens lay eggs?
I prefer to use my silkie hens as mothers because they are very difficult to stop being broody and it is much easier to give a hen a few eggs to hatch than to constantly try to fight mother nature. Silkie’s don’t lay very much anyway, so you shouldn’t be losing out on too many eggs. Plus you get to see the wonder of a mother hen and her chicks.
Can a chicken lay eggs while brooding?
You might think that breaking broodiness is simply a convenience for us. During the time she’s broody, your hen will not lay eggs. However, she will also not eat, preen or maintain herself properly either. Chickens left to be broody have been known to starve themselves to death simply waiting for eggs to hatch.
Can silkie hens make nests?
Chickens cannot brood eggs in this case, which helps to stop broodiness developing. Such nestboxes are also clean of nesting material too. This means that silkie hen cannot make a nest in the first place.
