# Sterile white silkie hen?



## Pearce Pastures (Nov 25, 2012)

For my fellow chicken addicts, have you ever had a hen that has never laid an egg?  We have a white silkie hen, and she is a hen not a rooster, that is going on one year old this month and has not once laid an egg.  She is our only white egg laying breed hen so it would be easy to spot if she had.  She is such a sweet girl and I thought I might use her to hatch other eggs too but if she is sterile, I wonder if she even has the maternal drive thing going on to do the job.  Thoughts?


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## Straw Hat Kikos (Nov 25, 2012)

I had a Brahma hen that didn't lay until a year and she laid only three eggs. Then many months later she started laying and she laid for a month then stopped. She did that all the time. She would end up laying everyday for months then just stop then go. It was weird and no it was not temps or weather or time of the year. She was just weird like that. I really have no idea about your chickens though.


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## Roll farms (Nov 25, 2012)

Silkie eggs can be light brown...I get all shades from cream to very light brown...  Not saying she really isn't laying, but that they're not necessarily white eggs.  
And I've never had one not lay.  We've  had a boat load of silkies.  They're the broodiest things on Earth, they don't lay long between sets, but mine lay well when they do lay.


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## Pearce Pastures (Nov 25, 2012)

I did not know that.  I suppose then she may have but I have never seen her sitting to lay either.  Maybe I will give her some more time and maybe put her in a smaller pen after winter to keep a closer eye on her.


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## ragdollcatlady (Nov 26, 2012)

Depending on when she hatched, she might just still be in a junior state of mind. My silkies are some of the slowest to develop, and I have had them for years...They are my favorite breed of all. Sometimes, if they are hatched in the spring, they don't lay or act grown up until the following summer or if they are born in fall, sometimes need the whole next year to decide they are big kids. They do lay through winter at that point so I don't mind. Usually the slower silkies also have the nicest type so that is OK too. 

As far as laying then stopping...that is being broody. Chickens lay enough to incubate then stop laying to hatch....If you take the eggs, some will skip the broody behavior and keep laying, maybe only missing one day or so, but some will quit for a few days or weeks before getting back to production. Silkies are some of my best broodies here too. 

I have never had a white egg from my silkies. Mine have always been creamy or off white. 

Hope that helps...


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## Pearce Pastures (Nov 26, 2012)

That helps a lot.  I always thought I was looking for a crisp white egg just based on what I had read in the poultry books I have.  I did a search for pics of silkie eggs and I have had some that look creamy like that.  And it could be that she is broody too.  I'll give her some time


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## Goatherd (Nov 26, 2012)

> Silkie eggs can be light brown...I get all shades from cream to very light brown...  Not saying she really isn't laying, but that they're not necessarily white eggs.


Not one of my white Silkies lays a white egg.  They are cream-colored at best.


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## boothcreek (Nov 26, 2012)

I had a heavily inbred line of black SQ silkies, had 3 hens of those for 4 years, only one laid me about 6 eggs in all that time and they werent even fertile. If they would of been at least calm and tame, no they were hysterical monsters. I have kept silkies for 8 yrs and never head such weird ones....


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## ksalvagno (Nov 26, 2012)

I have a Black Frizzle Cochin Bantam that has never laid an egg and she is definitely a she. I wonder if Banties are more prone to that?


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## secuono (Nov 26, 2012)

My Silkie eggs were white to a very pale pink. 
But it is possible she is sterile, that breed is also not a great layer and at a year, now she might even be done before she ever started. 
Can you separate her for a week or two and see if she ever lays?


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## Pearce Pastures (Dec 7, 2012)

GUESS WHAT!!!  I think she laid an egg!  Now I do have a Bantam Buff Brahma hen in there and a Old English Game hen but they are both younger and I would not expect it to be them yet.  I will keep an eye on her to see if she is getting into the box (which I have never seen her do before).

The egg is creamy white and so adorably tiny.


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## CocoNUT (Dec 7, 2012)

none of my silkies ever laid white eggs...always a cream or tan color. 

My girls took FOREVER to lay their first eggs...then it was all the singing and carrying on...drove me NUTS! They'd lay regularly for several days...then stop. One of them went broody pretty quickly...sat for 2 months...on NOTHING...while I tried to get her 'over' her broodiness. Ended up putting a couple rosecomb eggs under her and she sat for ANOTHER month to hatch them! WONDERFUL momma hen too! 

I loved those silkies...they were awesome. Unfortunately, I had to part with them...but a girlfriend of mine still has them and they're still producing for her. 

good luck and let us know who is laying those eggs!


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