Broody hen

[sdk]

I have a silkie. She is about a year old. She has decided to sit on her "nest" all the Time. There are no eggs on the nest and she hasn't laid In days (she normally lays every day/every other day). I normally check the nesting box and pull eggs twice a day. I however was out of town and didn't check the nest for only one day. When I came back from being out of town, less than 24 hrs later, she was sitting on the eggs from two other hens. Since then she has spent most of her time on the nest. There are no eggs there so I don't know what she thinks she's sitting on. Our temperatures are Dropping to below freezing so I worry that she will get cold sitting on the nest alone. I move her three to four times a night onto the perch to snuggle with the other hens (something she used to seem to enjoy) but she keeps moving back to the empty nest. Should I move her to a wire based cage by herself? Will that help break this broody behavior? I dont mind if she's not laying but I don't want her to get cold during this cold spell we are having

 

[Ridgerunner]

The only West Sacramento I can find is in California. Thanks for showing your location. It helps.

Highs in the 50s and 60s. Lows in the mid to upper 30s. That is not cold to a chicken, Silkie or not. That is comfortable. Keep her where she is safe from predators and not in a breeze and she will do fine.

 

[Sumatra55]

putting her in a wire cage with no box typically stops broodiness, unless you want to sit another chickens eggs under her ?

 

[tcscivic12]

just let her set. She will be ok.