Broody or distressed? Should I be worried?

[Kit-Kat]

I have three silkie hens who all went broody at the same time- I let one of them hatch her eggs and as soon as they hatched, one of the other hens decided to raise the chicks with her. They all wander around my yard and the two moms (and rooster) seem to share parenting duties (well, that's not entirely true- rooster seems to get bored and wander off to hang out with the other chickens sometimes, but I digress).

The third silkie hen still insists on sitting in her nesting box and has been there for nearly two months now. Is it normal for a hen to be broody for that long? I was hoping I could wait it out but this is starting to feel ridiculous. I'm also worried that maybe she's using the nesting box as a sort of 'safety'. Whenever she does happen to venture out of the coop, she's becomes the immediate victim of rooster's... um.... 'affection'.

I realize that silkies are a broody breed but is two months normal? Any insight or advice would be appreciated, thank you!

 

[coren66]

I would like to know, too. I have two silkies both 2 years old. One has been broody for about 3 months now and the other has not laid an egg in close to 3 1/2 months. We don't have a rooster, if that makes a difference.

I do currently have a rat issue with about 3-6 small ones that I discovered in the coop yesterday morning. I am trying to get that issue under wraps. Could it be stress? They seem happy and the broody one does make its way out of the coop about 2-3 times a day for a total of 5 mins each outing. Their run is covered, is Vit D an issue for chicken??

 

[Kit-Kat]

Hen is still broody... help would be appreciated!

 

[Den in Penn]

If she hasn't come out of it on her own, break her of it. Either lock her away from the nest or put her in a wire bottom cage for a few days to cool her off. The refuge idea may be part of the problem.