Broody Silky.

[chartpolski 24,476]

I've got a broody Silky hen and want to put some khaki Campbell and American Game eggs under her.

She hatched and raised two Cayuga duck chicks and a Bovan  hen chick before, but what's people's thoughts on how many eggs she's capable of sitting ?

Cheers.

[lurchers 2,878]

I would say 6 duck eggs mate or 8 American game,I had 8 under a call duck before and she just say managed to sit but they were light Sussex 

[Arry 22,438]

Had a Silky hatch 10 chicken eggs only one hen out of that lot Lol. Bloody good broody's Silkys.

Cheers Arry

[jok 3,324]

Memory is a strange thing, however, when I ran the shoot, we had one silky sitting 17 partridge eggs and another 13 pheasant eggs. So, on that 7 to 9 duck eggs or 9 to 11 game bird eggs. If you are wondering why the odd numbers, it was advice from an old hand who did exceptionally well with his American game birds. Some guys on here may know the nam Ray Arkle who was publican of the Crown Inn, Appleby Magna, Leics.  He said something along the lines of the way the bird turned the eggs during incubation vein the key. Might be a right load of crap but who know jo

[chartpolski 24,476]

On 22/03/2021 at 19:24, jok said:

Memory is a strange thing, however, when I ran the shoot, we had one silky sitting 17 partridge eggs and another 13 pheasant eggs. So, on that 7 to 9 duck eggs or 9 to 11 game bird eggs. If you are wondering why the odd numbers, it was advice from an old hand who did exceptionally well with his American game birds. Some guys on here may know the nam Ray Arkle who was publican of the Crown Inn, Appleby Magna, Leics.  He said something along the lines of the way the bird turned the eggs during incubation vein the key. Might be a right load of crap but who know jo

Funny you should say that about the odd number of eggs, the old lad that has leant me the silkie is from generations of poultry men, and told me the same thing !

Anyhow I've put eleven eggs under her, a right mixture !

4 American Game x Bovan.

3 Khaki Campbell.

2 Campbell x Call Duck.

2 Shamo.

Shes been sitting tight as a drum for three days now, so fingers crossed

Cheers.

 

Edited March 27, 2021 by chartpolski

[Mr Wilkes 3,049]

Charts, the duck eggs take 28 days to hatch so should be put under for five days before the hens eggs which take 21 days and they should all hatch around the same time.

[chartpolski 24,476]

57 minutes ago, Mr Wilkes said:

Charts, the duck eggs take 28 days to hatch so should be put under for five days before the hens eggs which take 21 days and they should all hatch around the same time.

I've had duck eggs and hens eggs under a banty twice before before and they all hatched out ok.

Not as many as this though. Just two duck and two hens eggs.

Cheers.

 

 

[chartpolski 24,476]

29 minutes ago, Stockpot said:

 

I love hatching eggs under broodies, done it all my life. Never fails to make me smile when I lift up a hen to find a nest full of banty, pheasant or partridge chicks.

Chartpolski, I hope you don't mind if I offer some advice? Keep an eye out for another broody, and if the opportunity arises, put the duck eggs under her. In your favour you are using a Silkie (and they'll sit tight on a bloody acorn!) so you/she might pull it off, but it is asking a lot of a hen to stay on a nest for a week after her (1st) chicks have hatched. Once her chicks are dry she'll want to get them out the nest, leaving the duck eggs to go cold. I see you have your hen sat in a tray, in the open so to speak. I like to "set" them in a nestbox, nice and quiet, dark and, to a hen, safe. Probably best not move her now she's settled, but maybe get a large box big enough to cover the whole tray and cut an entrance for her, she'll feel happier for it. If you sit any more hens nip to your local shop and try and get some crisp boxes, you know, the ones where they punch the circle out the end so people can help themselves. They're a ready made nest box and after hatching you can burn or compost the box to prevent disease or mite build up. Hope you don't mind me sticking my oar in. Good luck with the hatch.

 

On the contrary mate, I asked for advice and welcome everyone's input

I've only had Bovan Goldline layers for about five years, and ducks for about three years.

I could get the hybrid p.o.l's for a fiver and Cayuga and Campbell ducks for the same, but the price has now gone through the roof !

I had a good broody bantam, and she hatched a few hen and duck eggs for me, no problem, but she died, probably age.

I want to breed replacements for my old stock, so a mate gave me this silkie.

She's in a seperate, completely enclosed part of the hen hut, about 3'x3', its dark and quiet. I understand what your saying about the nest box, but it's exactly the same as I used with good effect with the broody bantam, so I thought why change what's already worked ?

I'll see how this works out, maybe change the set up next time if I'm not successful, but I'll take all advice on board

Cheers.

[chartpolski 24,476]

22 minutes ago, Stockpot said:

As you'll know prices for nearly all stock have gone through the roof since Covid. Now, I'm not shy when it comes to paying decent money for quality foundation stock, I see it as an investment not a cost, but a lot of what's being sold nowadays is absolute crap, only fit for ferret food.

I haven't kept Cambells for thirty year. Lovely ducks. My old mate took me to buy my original stock off a couple that owned a caravan park. It was winter. When we got there the couple said "oh, they'll be having a swim", so we walked 'round the back of the shop building to find a flock of Cambells bobbing about (and sh#tting) in the outdoor swimming pool! " Apparently as soon as the park closed to the public for winter the ducks had free reign of the place.

I was lucky enough to be mentored by a couple of the old school 'keepers who had hatched their pheasants (and Gamefowl) under broodies in pre incubator days and it lit a spark that has never been dampened. I've used incubators to hatch eggs but a thousand chicks hatched in an incubator wouldn't give me the same joy I get seeing 10 or 12 little "bumble-bee" chicks under a hen, and of course nothing knows how to look after chicks like a hen does, she's an incubator, brooder, guardian and teacher all in one. I also find naturally hatched and reared chick are more savvy than their incubator/brooder reared counterparts.

  

 

It's a hobby for me. I've no interest in incubators.

I gave my brother 10 Cayuga eggs for his incubator and 8 hatched, I got more pleasure from the two I hatched under a banty !

I have the poultry mainly for the eggs, but also like to have something different around the yard, hence the American and Shamo.

Out of interest, have you ever bred a pheasant x hen ?

Id like to try it, just to see what they look like !

My mate has Reeves and Golden pheasants, I might borrow a cock bird from him

Cheers.

[Mr Wilkes 3,049]

This is what I use , I put soil in the bottom ( helps stability and gives moisture which in turn helps with humidity) I then put shavings on top, I have very good hatch rates using this method, one thing... two days before the eggs are going to hatch throw the Broody off the have a crap, when she goes back on turn the drum around to face a wall that way she won’t try and take any early chicks to feed leaving the others that are due to hatch.

[darbo 4,776]

2 hours ago, Mr Wilkes said:

This is what I use , I put soil in the bottom ( helps stability and gives moisture which in turn helps with humidity) I then put shavings on top, I have very good hatch rates using this method, one thing... two days before the eggs are going to hatch throw the Broody off the have a crap, when she goes back on turn the drum around to face a wall that way she won’t try and take any early chicks to feed leaving the others that are due to hatch.

i do a similar thing but use a piece of grass turf turned grass side down cut to suit the nest box. Love the silkies and goldtops for broodies. Best of luck charts with the hatching.

[Mr Wilkes 3,049]

Yes I was taught with the grass sod and it definitely works, Goldtops are something I’ve never had but Id love some.

[darbo 4,776]

42 minutes ago, Mr Wilkes said:

Yes I was taught with the grass sod and it definitely works, Goldtops are something I’ve never had but Id love some.

They are fantastic broodies Mr Wilkes.

[Mr Wilkes 3,049]

If you hear of any pullets this year Darbo give me a shout

[chartpolski 24,476]

Well, third time lucky ! The first two clutches I put under the Silky produced nothing but the third lot, one hatched this morning, 20 days since I put them under her.

There's still three hen and two duck eggs to go, so fingers crossed

Cheers.