Silkie eggs

Silkies can lay a fair number of eggs in a year but laying is often interrupted because of their tendency to go broody. A Silkie hen might produce 100 to 120 eggs in an ideal year.

Below: A sample of Silkie eggs.

Their tendency for broodiness which has been selectively bred out of most fowl produced for egg production, is often exploited by poultry keepers by allowing Silkies to raise the offspring of many other poultry types.

In addition to being good mothers, Silkies are universally renowned for their calm, friendly temperament.

They do well in the confined area of a backyard or garden, and interact very well with children. This docility can cause Silkies to be bullied by more active or aggressive birds when kept in mixed flocks.

What do Silkie eggs look like?

Silkie chicken eggs are generally a porcelain white to cream colour.

Below: Silkie eggs vary from porcelain white to light brown or even pinkish.

Can you eat Silkie chicken eggs?

Yes, you can eat Silkie eggs, they are really nice as well. Silkies love to wander free range and find all sorts of greenery and insects, all of which improve the eggs and especially the bright yellow yolks.

They are a little smaller but that makes then ideal for kids.

The yolks of bantam eggs tend to be larger relative to the size of the egg than in large fowl chickens.

How often do Silkies lay eggs?

They lay small eggs with big deep yellow yolks with not so much white, perhaps 3-5 a week

However, Silkies do lay between 80 and 120 eggs per year, and can be encouraged to lay frequently. Make sure your chickens are old enough to lay. Silkies can start to lay at around 7 to 9 months of age, although some will not lay until they are much older.

Do Silkie eggs hatch early?

On average mine hatch 18 to 24 hours early. This is in line with most bantams, the smaller egg breeds tend to hatch a day or two before their large fowl counterparts.

Below: Silkie eggs in an Rcom incubator.