Broody silkie and I don't know what to do re: hatching eggs

[NicInNC]

I have a silkie that is determined to hatch the plastic eggs I have in the nests. I'm considering letting her go ahead and try to hatch some eggs. She's laying on any eggs she can find.

I'm new to all this though. She's been broody for over a week. I've been removing all eggs. IF I start putting some eggs under her, will she sit on them for the entire time needed for them to hatch? Or has her brain already deducted a week from the total time that it takes to hatch them? Also, how do I get her to eat and drink if she refuses to leave the nest? Do I just put food and water in front of her? How do I candle eggs to see if they're developing?

Help a newbie out!

 

[Chickenmaven]

The week that she has been on the nest doesn't "count." She will sit on a clutch until they hatch, especially if you get her some eggs soon. If you want more chickens, let her sit. I say this because DD & I thought it would be "sweet" to let a couple of our hens sit on some eggs and we did not quite count fon the hens to hatching out all but one(!) Yikes - chick overload!
Anyway, I would also recommend giving her a space of her own, like a dog crate within the coop - her nest in one corner of the crate. She will need food and water, there, and enough room to get up and stretch. I had a system with one broody, where I would let her out in the a.m.; she would eat and stretch in the run with the entire flock (for 30 minutes while I did chores); and then she would wait to be let back in her crate.
Good luck with this. It is really special to see the chicks interact with their mama.

 

[NicInNC]

I keep trying to take her out of the nest and no matter where I put her, she immediately fluffs up and starts nesting. Even if it's in the middle of the yard! I FINALLY got her to get up and walk yesterday. I literally had to hold her up off the ground a bit and bounce her gently as if she was walking! This morning, she's refusing to get out again though. I need to see if anyone has laid an egg yet and I'll put it under her and see what happens.

 

[Ridgerunner]

This thread might help answer some of your questions and give you some things to consider.

Isolate a Broody? Thread
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=213218

Normally a broody will get up once a day to eat, drink, and go poo. They often like to do this when no one is watching. If she is not pooping in her nest, she is getting up enough. Many people do keep food and water near them to make it easier for them to eat and drink, but a lot depends on your set-up. You may just be attracting other chickens to her area if you do this and you don't isolate her.

I'm not sure what your question about candling really means. I'd suggest doing it at night. She's calmer and you can see in the egg better.

I just saw your last post. I do suggest you read that thread before you put an egg under her.

Good luck!

 

[muzzles&nuzzles]

Silkies are always broody. Some of mine sit anytime of the year. Even in the winter. My whites were broody from the beginning of summer until a week ago. Silkies will sit on any egg they see. I had some seperated in the coop tonight to take out to cook with. I went and filled the waterer and grabbed extra shavings. By the time I got back my little blue was sitting on them. I know she will get up in the AM though.


The thing is to watch them a week or two and make sure they are going to stay broody. The other thing about silkies is sometimes they take turns brooding. Three will sit together on eggs and "share" them. If one goes to eat the others will steal the eggs. The great thing about this is if you are lucky as I have been the hens share the babies. This isn't always the case though so you have to be really careful that one mommy doesn't kill anothers chick. My whites do not share chicks..my blue/splash/blue partridge/ black pen does.

If a hen is broody for a long time I just give her a seperate waterer and put feed right in front of her. I have had them get weak from not eating enough when they are super broody. Some people put them in wire cages hung from the ceiling. I just can't do that to my birds. As long as the hens eat and drink I don't care if they are broody.

 

[txchickie]

Let her be....take all eggs, real or fake, away from her and she will quit. It may take a few weeks, but evenutally she should get over her need to mama some babies

Make sure she has food and water close to her and let her try to hatch out some shavings