Broody loneliness!!

[EmmaJane88]

Hi guys. Trying to take my mind off being on day 19 with silkie eggs. Had a live feed into my classroom today but nothing happened!!

Aanyway.

Sod's law, two of my silkies have gone broody (three weeks late but nvm!) I have three in total and the third is really distressed. She's spent all day on her own and keeps going into the hen house as if to say "Come on guys, I'm lonely out here!"

I have 4 regular hens which she can see but they've always been separated due to the silkies being bantams and me being very protective!!

What do I do? I don't want to break both broodies (emphasis on try!) as we're debating whether to slip the chicks under one of them. Also if my incy hatch fails I want to try again the natural way. What do I do with my poor lonely girl?!

Xxx

 

[Johnn]

Why not try letting your big girls and the lone silkie free range together for a few hours in the day? AFter seeing each other they might be used to each other, it would be worth a try! And if you decide to put chicks under your broodies then she wont be alone for long as the silkies will only sit with them for 3 days until taking them off the nest.

 

[EmmaJane88]

It's a lovely idea but unfortunately we can't let them free range, they have a big run instead. I really feel for her, she sounds quite desperate! :-( xxx

 

[bobbi-j]

I've never had silkies, but have had bantams and LF living together and never had a problem with it. But silkies may be more high-maintenance? Keep an eye on them when you first put them together, of course, but if all seems to be going well she'd be much happier since chickens are a flock animal.

 

[EmmaJane88]

Again a lovely suggestion but we have a major bully in the regular flock. I'm going to try and break one of the broodies tomorrow- they're both sharing a nest anyway which isn't good. Downside of an eglu- only one nesting box! Xxx

 

[Johnn]

Again a lovely suggestion but we have a major bully in the regular flock. I'm going to try and break one of the broodies tomorrow- they're both sharing a nest anyway which isn't good. Downside of an eglu- only one nesting box! Xxx

She will most likely just go broody again. If I was you I would just put some chicks under the two of them and they will be back up and outside in no time!

 

[EmmaJane88]

How could I do that with one eglu and one run? I know they're docile silkies but I'm scared as I have two broodies they will fight over the chicks and the chicks will lose. I can't build any more runs or extend theirs as I've run out of room! Xxx

 

[EmmaJane88]

Ill note it is a big run not an eglu run!! About 2.5m squared for 3 bantams xxx

 

[Johnn]

How could I do that with one eglu and one run? I know they're docile silkies but I'm scared as I have two broodies they will fight over the chicks and the chicks will lose. I can't build any more runs or extend theirs as I've run out of room! Xxx

Well were the silkies friends before? and are they sharing the eggs? if so they are co-hatching and will share the chicks x

 

[EmmaJane88]

They are yes, very cute. Will the third hen attack the chicks dyu think? What if there's only one chick, will they fight over it? Xxx