Do Broody Silkies EVER give up????

[chickiebird]

I have two little Silkie hens - one has been broody for over three months now, and the other is going on a month. I don't mond them sitting if they want to - I gave them plastic eggs to sit on and I take their real eggs from them every day. Just wondering if I will ever see them outside scratching around ever again?

And my new little roo won't go outside either, because he won't leave them, so he just hangs out inside the coop beside them. They didn't even look up when I first put him in the outside run! I know Silkies are stubborn, but come on now, when will they give up and get on with their fuzzy little lives?

 

[devora]

Whoa, three mos?? I have yet to experience the joy that is broody, but from what I've been reading that seems a mite longish. My goodness. Can you tempt her off? Good luck w/ her!

 

[chickiebird]

It's true! For three months this silly little hen has gotten up for only ten minutes a day to go outside and peck a bit, then it's back on the nest. Surely she'll give up eventually, won't she?

 

[bantymum]

Is there any way that you can Psyche her out of it.
Put her in a well lit cage, meaning no dark spots and put the cage up on a brick at each end so the air gets under her. Then give her some high protein food (cat food meat is good) for a few days, then let her out and if she is still brooody, put her in again. It may take a few goes, but she will snap out of it and start enjoying the good life with her rooster.

 

[silkie10]

I know somebody who's silkie has been broody for four mos now!! She does not have a rooster so none of her eggs will hatch. She sits of everyone's eggs and lots of pieces of watermelon!!

 

[Sublight]

Build her a little cage that is off the ground, and make it have wire sides, top and bottom. It will help her "cool off" as the old farmers would say.

 

[RoosterCogburn7]

I have two little Silkie hens - one has been broody for over three months now, and the other is going on a month. I don't mond them sitting if they want to - I gave them plastic eggs to sit on and I take their real eggs from them every day. Just wondering if I will ever see them outside scratching around ever again?

And my new little roo won't go outside either, because he won't leave them, so he just hangs out inside the coop beside them. They didn't even look up when I first put him in the outside run! I know Silkies are stubborn, but come on now, when will they give up and get on with their fuzzy little lives?

Silkies are often purchased because of their need to be broody to act as an incubator for other eggs. So, they tend to be more broody than other breeds. As long as they have feed and water, you can use them as little incubators.