Broody hens help

[annmarie33]

I have 2 hens who have been broody about a month and we have been taking there eggs anyway. One is a Silkie and she is currently still sitting on nothing for 3 days and isn't laying anymore. She's so sweet I feel bad for her! What should I do with her? The other is a cochin and she has 2 eggs under her for 2 days now and I decided to mark them and leave them. We have 6 other hens and I've only been getting 1-2 eggs a day where I was getting 6-8. So could the other hens not be laying since there are broody hens? There are 4 open boxes so I know it's not that. And I have searched and no other nests

 

[21hens-incharge]

The questions I would have are

Do you have a rooster? (I know may sound like a silly question but believe it or not some folks think any egg can hatch. Even college educated folks where I work.)
Do you wish to hatch chicks out?

If so I would let them sit eggs. If you do not have a rooster and the silkie has already sat a long time as it is are you willing to give her a couple chicks from a feed store and see if she will adopt?
If she rejects them are you set up to raise them.... heat lamp, brooder and the other needed items?

If you do not want chicks now then perhaps a broody breaker is in order. Now that being said both the silkie and cochin breeds are prone to being broody...... VERY broody. It may be worth it to get a couple chicks and let her raise them then sell them or keep them.
The cochin that I have that is a broody monster is not willing to accept chicks so will be given purchased eggs as I have no rooster.

 

[annmarie33]

I went through this before with a cochin and she was sitting on her eggs when a dog killed all my hens. So it was just her and the rooster left. Anyway she hatched and raised 4 roosters. We ended up having to start over and so I have 9 hens and a rooster. These are younger chickens- about 5 months. Anyway I have 11 chicks I hatched in an incubator of the current chickens and have others I bought so I have 21 chicks in a brooder in the house right now. I don't need more chicks but I decided to let the cochin have her two. After I decided that the Silkie already had no eggs. Should I just buy a few Silkie chicks? Or put eggs other lay under her? Why is she sitting without laying eggs?

 

[21hens-incharge]

Very broody breeds will sit on an empty nest once they reach that catatonic state of being broody.
How old are the chicks you have indoors? If they are only a couple days old you could try and get her to take one or two. Best to do at night from what I read.

My broody monster sat an empty nest for 8 weeks before I broke out the broody breaker last year.

If you decide to buy her a couple chicks they do not have to be silkie chicks. From my understanding of the breed they will raise most any chick. Not all are willing to accept chicks they did not hatch but silkies are said to be one of the most willing to adopt.

All broody hens stop laying eggs while broody. They would have laid a few to a dozen then decide to sit and the laying stops. It is a hormonal thing. Not her choice really but nature at work to increase the population.

I never expect eggs from my cochins so getting any is a bonus. I love them for the silly little chickens they are.

If you have to or decide to use a broody breaker there are a lot of threads on here about breaking a broody hen.