How long do Silkie chickens generally need to be raised before they start laying eggs?

SummarySilkie chickens will start laying eggs at around 180 days of age, and the annual egg production is about 160 to 180 eggs. March to August is the best period for hatching eggs, and the hatching success rate can reach 90%. If you want to increase the egg-laying rate of Silkie chickens, you can choose 9 a.m. or 3 p.m. for feeding. And in the hot summer, cooling them by trimming feathers can also increase their egg-laying rate.

Silkie chickens usually start laying eggs at around 180 days of age. However, a Silkie hen's annual output is about 160 to 180 eggs, the eggs are white, and each egg weighs about 40 grams. A fully grown hen weighs about 1.1 kg-1.25 kg, while a fully grown rooster weighs between 1.15 kg and 1.75 kg.

Best Hatching Time

Generally, when the rearing environment and rearing management are both relatively good, Silkie chickens will lay eggs every year from March to February of the following year. When eggs are hatched from March to August, the hatching success rate can reach 90%. If eggs are hatched from September to February of the following year, the hatching success rate can reach 80%. So it seems that the best time to hatch eggs is March to August.

How to Increase the Egg-Laying Rate

If you want to increase the number of eggs Silkie chickens lay, you can feed them at 9 a.m. or 3 p.m. These two time periods are the best feeding times. Feeding at these times is helpful for increasing the egg-laying rate of Silkie chickens. In summer, the egg-laying rate of Silkie chickens is low, and it can be increased by trimming feathers to cool them down.