Broody hen keeps getting off her eggs

[HeartsHolly17]

I have a broody silkie, just over a year old. I want her to hatch out some chicks but she keeps getting off of her nest. It happens randomly. Like, she’ll be doing super good and staying on all day, and then she’ll get off for three hours or overnight. I cracked open a few of the eggs she’s been sitting on after candling them and of the three I cracked open they all have streaks of blood on the yolk but no vein growth. That or blobs of random blood.

I was wondering if anyone has any advice on keeping her on the nest? I’m planning on taking all of her eggs tonight since she’s sitting on duds and slipping in some golf balls until I know what to do.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

She should get off once a day. Usually up to about half an hour. If she gets off multiple times, or overnight she isn't truly broody yet.

 

[Ridgerunner]

My test to see if a hen deserves eggs to hatch is that she has to spend two consecutive nights on the nest instead of in her normal sleeping spot. That test may fail me some day but hasn't yet. There are a lot of behaviors that indicate a hen might possibly be broody or be thinking about going broody but I consider every one of those a might possibly, not a sure thing.

I've seen a broody hen get off her nest once a day for 15 minutes. I had one that got off her nest twice a day and stayed off a little over an hour each time (It was hot weather when she did this). Both hens had great hatches. I've had broody hens that I never see off of the nest but I know that they are getting up because they are not pooping in their nests. Each broody hen can behave differently, I think the weather might have an influence on how long they stay off when they come off.

I trust my broody hens and try to leave them alone but yours isn't acting like she deserves eggs. I've had hens sort of act broody for as much as two weeks before they flip over to full broody mode and deserve eggs or otherwise break from even thinking about it.

 

[Chicalina]

You can help her commit by confining her to the nest, either blocking off the doorway or moving her into a cardboard box where she can't get out. This can 'Fix' her into proper broodiness. Of course youll have to manually take her off it once or twice a day to eat, drink and poop and then put her back. Try this for about 4 to 5 days on golf balls until you are sure she is settled and then replace with real eggs.

 

[sdm111]

I have hens that get off all the time like about 4 or 5 hours a day and still hatch 100%