Broody Hen Thread!

[chicksurreal]

Yes! One of my Silkie Hens went broody about 2 weeks ago and she means business! I thinks she also sneaking our others hens eggs into her nest like a ninja. Not really sure what to do about that! Lol!

Lol! Too funny, ninja chicken!

I'm seriously considering getting a Silkie at some point just for the fact that they are known for their broodiness. What are their personalities like?

 

[goosegirl6]

Yes...chances are good that the eggs are fertile if he was mating with them.

Hens can stay fertile after mating for up to 3 weeks...sometimes a bit longer.

Lady of McCamley

Thanks Lady of McCamley!

 

[goosegirl6]

Hey Goosegirl6 (do you have geese? we got our first ducklings and would love to add geese someday)-- anyways- I think we are close to you in hatch dates-- came home last wed (its Sat) to find the hen that tried to set eggs last yr (week 2 another hen stole the clutch and hatched out the babies, she tried again, hatched one out but that healthy chick disappeared one weekend, sad).... is sitting tight on another batch of 7.... I think she sat on them Tues/Wed b/c I collected all the eggs Sat before (it takes a couple days to get 7 eggs together from my crew of 11, only 9 of which are laying)...
Just keep her calm and quiet....and it should be OK, last year both of mine sat up high in nest boxes and it was sorta complicated. This yr I am happy to say at least she is in a corner on the coop floor, just past the roosts (but there is plenty of poop right next to her, silly girl)...
Lets keep tabs on the clutch ok? I have a second broody thats only sitting on one egg (I didnt realize she was broody and took the eggs but musta missed one)..... Sigh .. the coop design we followed has nest boxes up high but with only one egg, she will jump down as soon as the chick does so it should be ok-- never had any luck moving Broodies...

Hi! No, I don't currently have geese, but I have before, and just love them, far more exciting than chickens. No offense meant. Lol! I actually ordered a pair of White Chinese geese that will be here next month.

Yes, we should definatly keep tabs on the clutch. Another one of my Chanteclers has been broody, too, so today I put a clutch of 8 eggs under her. How many eggs can one hen handle? Thanks!

 

[DarynA146]

Yes! One of my Silkie Hens went broody about 2 weeks ago and she means business! I thinks she also sneaking our others hens eggs into her nest like a ninja. Not really sure what to do about that! Lol!

i think one of my silkies are also sneaking other eggs into her nest

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Lol! Too funny, ninja chicken!

I'm seriously considering getting a Silkie at some point just for the fact that they are known for their broodiness. What are their personalities like?

Varies with the bird, but generally they are calm and friendly. My Silkie is not particularly friendly...she is a bit grumpy...but she is a very, very good broody so she's almost always under the influence of broody hormones so I forgive her...uhm...temperamentalness. She is a quiet well behaved bird, just not one to want to be petted.

Lady of McCamley

 

[chicksurreal]

Varies with the bird, but generally they are calm and friendly. My Silkie is not particularly friendly...she is a bit grumpy...but she is a very, very good broody so she's almost always under the influence of broody hormones so I forgive her...uhm...temperamentalness. She is a quiet well behaved bird, just not one to want to be petted.

Lady of McCamley

Thank you!

I'm comfortable with birds that aren't super friendly, my Hamburgs are SO flighty (unless you have treats in hand, of course). I love their quirkiness, so it's all good.

I love the way Silkies look, I just wonder if they would do very well in our area. We live in the high desert of AZ, so lots of high temps in the summer and high desert landscape which means lots of unfriendly plants and animals. That's one reason we chose a flighty breed, we wanted them to have a good chance of survival in our area. I always accompany them while they free range, but we've had a few issues even with supervision.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Thank you!

I'm comfortable with birds that aren't super friendly, my Hamburgs are SO flighty (unless you have treats in hand, of course). I love their quirkiness, so it's all good.

I love the way Silkies look, I just wonder if they would do very well in our area. We live in the high desert of AZ, so lots of high temps in the summer and high desert landscape which means lots of unfriendly plants and animals. That's one reason we chose a flighty breed, we wanted them to have a good chance of survival in our area. I always accompany them while they free range, but we've had a few issues even with supervision.

I would be concerned with the feet feathering and the possible burrs and thorns...I used to live in southwest Arizona (Ajo to be exact), so I remember how inhospitable that area can be with plants and critters, and I would be a bit concerned about free ranging in the bush with the leg feathers and the fuzzy hairlike quality of the Silkie feathers...however, I never owned a Silkie down there, so I don't know first hand (grandma had a chicken farm of the traditional layers, but no exotics like Silkies).

Not that it couldn't work. I live in the rainy Northwest now, and mud abounds, which isn't friendly for feathered feet either, but it works because I keep my Silkie in special quarters for the queen broodie that she is...and it has an attached grown out pen on deep wood chips.

If she becomes your main chick hatching broody, she will always be in the nest brooding so it might not be such an issue.

Hopefully someone with actual experience will pipe in otherwise find the Arizona thread and ask.

Lady of McCamley

 

[TAMMACLEAN]

Lol! Too funny, ninja chicken!

I'm seriously considering getting a Silkie at some point just for the fact that they are known for their broodiness. What are their personalities like?

Silkies are usually sweet tempered. I've had a couple that were a little "uppity" but still nice. I even have a white silkie rooster that took over being a momma for some babies we had. It was the sweetest thing to watch!

 

[Dknichelson]

Lol! Too funny, ninja chicken!

I'm seriously considering getting a Silkie at some point just for the fact that they are known for their broodiness. What are their personalities like?

Oh.my.goodness, they're so sweet! Even our Roo is a sweetie! They're funny, mild mannered and excellent mothers.

 

[Dknichelson]

i think one of my silkies are also sneaking other eggs into her nest

I got her off the nest yesterday and she is FOR SURE sneaking eggs! She's up to 9 now! I guess the only way to stop her egg hoarding would have been to have moved her when she went broody, but we really don't have anywhere else for her to go.

Anyone have any tips for stopping a broody hen from sneaking more eggs? We really don't need a dozen chicks added to our flock! lol!