Solving Omlet Smart Auto Door Timing Issues with Alexa Routines

[MedusA]

Our two Silkies, lovely as they are, are still freeloading. Muggle is now 25/26 weeks and Squib 23/24 weeks. Neither of them have laid yet. Can anyone tell me at what age can we expect to be getting eggs from them, and how often Silkies usually lay? Ta muchly.

[bellekatz]

Pure breeds can be a law unto themsleves with regard to when they start laying My Cream Legbar was over 32 weeks before she started - I think I remember seeing somewhere that it depends when they hatch? I'm sure someoe else with silkies will e along soon with some more info

[Karen Pimlott]

bellekatz you pretty much have said it all we have had a silkie lay her first egg at 12 months old!

loads of things can affect pure breeds laying... too hot.. too cold..moultring and as bellekatz said when they where hatched can also contribute.

 

silkies arnt the worlds best layers at the best of times and up untill 16 to 18 weeks can not be acurately sexed too.

 

you may have a long wait!

 

karen

[beach chick]

we got 3 silkies yesterday... and I read they dont lay til Christmas and then dont lay during the summer!!! havent broken the news to OH yet tho...

[jsbates65]

My silkie just started laying a week or so ago and I've had her since September. . .and she was at least 6 or 8 weeks when I got her.

[Karen Pimlott]

they are more likely not to lay in winter as its too cold. mother natures way of not hatching chicks at the wrong time of year.

 

they will lay through the summer but knowing silkies it will be all or nothing, thats when they dont go broody of course

 

as i said not the best layers in the world..but look lovely we have bantams and large.

 

Karen

[sparkleeeeee]

i had three and i kept asking the same thing, they all truned out to be cockerels . they were all the same age and i rehomed two in about october and didnt realise the third was a cockerel until feb, she looked like a hen until then. they are hard to sex and even the experts get it wrong, there is a great paper on the internet from an american breeder who just said often he just waits for a crow or an egg to know for sure and he is supposed to be an expert!.

fingers crossed yours are hens.

i am getting some more as i did love them to bits they are a fantastic breed for children but this time i am getting some year old broodies from a local breeder. i dont expect many eggs from them though.

[Tottya]

HI! I have 2 lovely silkies only one lays maybe the other is a cock The one that lays laid for a month when she was 5 months old then stopped 2 1/2 weeks ago due to the fact of being extremley broody!! Wish she would snap out of it! I do spoil my ladies so maybe thats why she laid quickly?

 

Anyone tell me how you know it its a girl/boy?! Would love to find out before the crowing starts lol

 

Sam

x

[beach chick]

the guy we got ours from said something about the area just above their beaks - that kind of gnarly bit of skin? its meant to be flatter in girls, and he went to a lot of trouble to check that ours were girls, comparing them to others in the flock. he'll take them back if they're not, coz he sells lots on to people who want cocks and hens. (would love the whole kit and caboodle myself, but think neighbours might not)

[Bondinho]

My silkies started laying in April I think, must have been about 30 weeks old I think. And when they were laying it was 1 every other day, sometimes 2 in a row then a day off.

 

But unfortunately now they are both broody - along with my Pekin! One of the silkies has been broody for about 4 weeks and does not look like snapping out of it

 

They will stop laying by October I'd imagine and won't start again until April/May. Not the best layers but they do look very cool, my gold one looks just like Big Bird of Sesame Street!

[MedusA]

Thanks for the info! I appreciate that it's not an exact science with pure breeds. Looks like it's Carryonwaitingandhopetheydon'tturnouttobecocksafterall then! I do hope not. Wernlas assured me they were both hens.

[Bondinho]

If they are from Wernlas then rest assured they will be hens! I got mine from them at 16/17 weeks old and they both turned out to be hens and are lovely birds. My two are best buddies too out of the 5 that arrived at the same time (4 of which were from Wernlas).

 

My Appenzeller (who are supposedly excellent layers for a pure breed)didn't lay until she was about 34 weeks old, she arrived at the same time as the Silkies and was a little older than them too. So I think it is just a waiting game to be honest.

[MedusA]

Phew that's a relief!

[TAJ]

My chicken book tells me average 60 eggs per year for silkies - not sure if this fits with the experience of those that have them?

 

Tracy

[ruth1]

I was told on sat when I picked up my young girls that some pure breeds if they are hatched from June onwards may not lay till the following year. This came from quite an experienced Chicken keeper so im guessing she knows from experience.

[superjules]

Generally, if purebreeds don't start laying by November, then you will have to wait until the following March.

 

60 eggs a year??!! I suppose between being broody and stopping for the winter, there's not much time to lay eggs. Wow, if you got silkies for egg laying, you'd be disappointed!! What book is that TAJ?

[Bondinho]

I think usually you see around 120ish eggs a year quoted for Silkies. Obviously if you have a broody and let them sit it out (like I have stupidly done, 4 weeks and counting! ) then it will be less. But like I say when they aren't broody, it's usually 4 or 5 a week (from mine anyway).