Broody Hen HELP!!!

[Silkielover1104]

Hi I am new to back yard chicken. I have a broody silkie. she has been broody for about 5 weeks. at first she wasn't eating or drinking or leaving the coop. the was sitting on fake eggs. I have Hens only no Roosters. I called the breeder that I use and she gave me three fertilized eggs for her to nest on. she was been on them for about 24 days. One egg was not good. was hollow and had red spots on it. I am not sure about the other two. they are still hard and no smell or softness to the eggs. She will not get off of them. She still is not eating or drinking. I am not sure what to do. I have put food and water in the coop with her but she is not touching it. The breeder said that if the eggs are bad she will reject them. This is the first time she has been broody and I am not sure if she will reject them. I am not sure how long I allow this to go own. I don't want my hen to die. She is manly used as a family pet and that lay fresh eggs not for making more babies. How much longer do I wait for these eggs to hatch if they are going to hatch and how do I get her out of this mood that she is in? I have read if I take her out of the coop and free range her and allow her to eat and block off the coop entrance so she can't get back in there for a couple of days she will snap out of it. is this something I should do? This is my first time dealing with this and just not sure what to do. I just know I don't want my hen dieing over a bunch of eggs that may not hatch.

 

[AmericanMom]

Hi I am new to back yard chicken. I have a broody silkie. she has been broody for about 5 weeks. at first she wasn't eating or drinking or leaving the coop. the was sitting on fake eggs. I have Hens only no Roosters. I called the breeder that I use and she gave me three fertilized eggs for her to nest on. she was been on them for about 24 days. One egg was not good. was hollow and had red spots on it. I am not sure about the other two. they are still hard and no smell or softness to the eggs. She will not get off of them. She still is not eating or drinking. I am not sure what to do. I have put food and water in the coop with her but she is not touching it. The breeder said that if the eggs are bad she will reject them. This is the first time she has been broody and I am not sure if she will reject them. I am not sure how long I allow this to go own. I don't want my hen to die. She is manly used as a family pet and that lay fresh eggs not for making more babies. How much longer do I wait for these eggs to hatch if they are going to hatch and how do I get her out of this mood that she is in? I have read if I take her out of the coop and free range her and allow her to eat and block off the coop entrance so she can't get back in there for a couple of days she will snap out of it. is this something I should do? This is my first time dealing with this and just not sure what to do. I just know I don't want my hen dieing over a bunch of eggs that may not hatch.

Will she allow you to candle the eggs? If they are bad can you get ahold of newborn chicks to slip under her at night? That's a sure fire way of breaking a broody that has sat as long as yours has..

As far as whether she is eating or drinking, she is...trust me, she wouldn't survive this long unless she was, your just not seeing her.. She may only leave the nest every couple days as one of mine did but she is getting up.

 

[calichicken]

Hi I am new to back yard chicken. I have a broody silkie. she has been broody for about 5 weeks. at first she wasn't eating or drinking or leaving the coop. the was sitting on fake eggs. I have Hens only no Roosters. I called the breeder that I use and she gave me three fertilized eggs for her to nest on. she was been on them for about 24 days. One egg was not good. was hollow and had red spots on it. I am not sure about the other two. they are still hard and no smell or softness to the eggs. She will not get off of them. She still is not eating or drinking. I am not sure what to do. I have put food and water in the coop with her but she is not touching it. The breeder said that if the eggs are bad she will reject them. This is the first time she has been broody and I am not sure if she will reject them. I am not sure how long I allow this to go own. I don't want my hen to die. She is manly used as a family pet and that lay fresh eggs not for making more babies. How much longer do I wait for these eggs to hatch if they are going to hatch and how do I get her out of this mood that she is in? I have read if I take her out of the coop and free range her and allow her to eat and block off the coop entrance so she can't get back in there for a couple of days she will snap out of it. is this something I should do? This is my first time dealing with this and just not sure what to do. I just know I don't want my hen dieing over a bunch of eggs that may not hatch.

Hi!
I would candle the eggs and see if there is development and movement. If there is not, I would try to get a couple of day or two old chicks and slip the under her so she will get up and mother them. And she may be eating/drinking but you do not see it? I have a broody cochin that I get off of her nest once a day. It takes a little prompting after I lift her off but she spends about 30 min dusting, eating, drinking and pooping. I would not want my girl to be sitting much longer if it has already been 5 weeks. She is a pet for us as well and I agree, their health is more important than hatching eggs!

 

[Silkielover1104]

WE took a flash light the other night to the eggs. the one with the red spots was hollow, there is one that is heavy and looks full and the third looks half full on the bottom with a little air pocket at the top. I only have another silkie that is about 10 months and a 4 week silkie that is in a pen in the house. I tried to put the baby near her and she pecked at her. I am afraid that she will attack the baby. I don't have alot of silkies, just getting started with raising them. I don't have any other eggs to put under her. The breeder that I have been using lives over an hour from me. there are only 4 breeders in the whole state of New Hampshire. I am still not sure if these two other eggs are alive or dead.

 

[AmericanMom]

WE took a flash light the other night to the eggs. the one with the red spots was hollow, there is one that is heavy and looks full and the third looks half full on the bottom with a little air pocket at the top. I only have another silkie that is about 10 months and a 4 week silkie that is in a pen in the house. I tried to put the baby near her and she pecked at her. I am afraid that she will attack the baby. I don't have alot of silkies, just getting started with raising them. I don't have any other eggs to put under her. The breeder that I have been using lives over an hour from me. there are only 4 breeders in the whole state of New Hampshire. I am still not sure if these two other eggs are alive or dead.

You want a day or two old chick, not an older one.. Can the breeder sell you a couple newly hatched chicks? Can you post an ad on CL for one.. Even if its not a silkie she will take any breed, you can always sell it later

 

[Silkielover1104]

IN those to other eggs we moved them but so no movement. not really sure what i am looking for . this is all new for my husband and I . i read that toward the end you can hear chirping sometimes is that true. I smelled the eggs and there was no smell. i don't want to discard them if they are alive but 24 days after being nested is that to long or do they hatch anytime after 21 days?

 

[calichicken]

WE took a flash light the other night to the eggs. the one with the red spots was hollow, there is one that is heavy and looks full and the third looks half full on the bottom with a little air pocket at the top. I only have another silkie that is about 10 months and a 4 week silkie that is in a pen in the house. I tried to put the baby near her and she pecked at her. I am afraid that she will attack the baby. I don't have alot of silkies, just getting started with raising them. I don't have any other eggs to put under her. The breeder that I have been using lives over an hour from me. there are only 4 breeders in the whole state of New Hampshire. I am still not sure if these two other eggs are alive or dead.

No..No...baby is too old and yes she will hurt it, especially when broody to protect her eggs! Can you post a pic of your candled eggs? I am not real great at looking at candled eggs...still learning..butif you post under emergencies with HELP needed, someone will help you out! This site is great for that. You can also go to the learning center and search candling eggs and get pics! What day of incubation are your eggs on?

 

[AmericanMom]

WE took a flash light the other night to the eggs. the one with the red spots was hollow, there is one that is heavy and looks full and the third looks half full on the bottom with a little air pocket at the top. I only have another silkie that is about 10 months and a 4 week silkie that is in a pen in the house. I tried to put the baby near her and she pecked at her. I am afraid that she will attack the baby. I don't have alot of silkies, just getting started with raising them. I don't have any other eggs to put under her. The breeder that I have been using lives over an hour from me. there are only 4 breeders in the whole state of New Hampshire. I am still not sure if these two other eggs are alive or dead.

I would leave these eggs under her for a few more days while you try and find a chick or two...You never know, they may hatch yet

 

[Silkielover1104]

I guess i can look or see if any breeders have fertilized eggs that want to give up for a broody chicken. i haven't thought of that. chicks that are a day or two old. i can put an add on tonight. and see what i can some up with. where i live its hard to find chicks and get read of the roosters. I'm not in an area where there is alot of farm land. in my town we can have hens only no roosters. you can get fined for having roosters it stupid but the houses are so close together..

 

[calichicken]

IN those to other eggs we moved them but so no movement. not really sure what i am looking for . this is all new for my husband and I . i read that toward the end you can hear chirping sometimes is that true. I smelled the eggs and there was no smell. i don't want to discard them if they are alive but 24 days after being nested is that to long or do they hatch anytime after 21 days?

They can hatch later...but I only give 7 days past 21 to hatch...you should hear pecking or chirping by then if it is alive. If you can not get a chick, you may need to keep her out of the nest, clean area with no nesting materials available for her to use