So today my silkie went broody. Im sure she is......
1. She didn't get out of her nest box all day and when I tried to pick her up she bit the crap out of m hand.
2. I finally got a towel to pick her up and threw her (not literally) out into the run and opened the run door to let them out to free range she want out for bout 10 mins then was back in the run pacing at the chcken door wanting back in.
3. I opened the ccen dor and she went right backk to her nest even though I took the 1 egg she layed last night so now she is on an empty nest.
Questioons:
1. If I decide to try to give her a chick can I do it now or should I give her a while before I do it?
2. Does it have to be less than a week old or has anyone tried giving a hen say a 4 week old chick instead?
3. She has been around many other newborn chicks before from her previous owner who just left the chicks and hen with the flock. She never let her raise babies though, she always gave eggs to her BO hen to raise when she was broody so I don't know yet if she will be a good mom or not. She is pretty high up on the thrown though if not the top hen so I don't think there would be much if any trouble from my other chickens as they are just reaching laying age anyway so still young.
Any ideas? I could try breaking her of being broody to but I thought I would explore giving her at leased 1 chick to see how she does. She is a very nice quality chicken and has been shown before in 4h taking 2nd place out of all the other silkies at the show I was told...... Havnt shown her ourselves yet..... So I eventually would like to be able to breed her and get some chicks. But I do not want to have to incubate if I can avoid it anyway........ If I give her a chick it would only be a silkie as I am quickly running outa room and silkies are hard to find in my close area..........
1. She didn't get out of her nest box all day and when I tried to pick her up she bit the crap out of m hand.
2. I finally got a towel to pick her up and threw her (not literally) out into the run and opened the run door to let them out to free range she want out for bout 10 mins then was back in the run pacing at the chcken door wanting back in.
3. I opened the ccen dor and she went right backk to her nest even though I took the 1 egg she layed last night so now she is on an empty nest.
Questioons:
1. If I decide to try to give her a chick can I do it now or should I give her a while before I do it?
2. Does it have to be less than a week old or has anyone tried giving a hen say a 4 week old chick instead?
3. She has been around many other newborn chicks before from her previous owner who just left the chicks and hen with the flock. She never let her raise babies though, she always gave eggs to her BO hen to raise when she was broody so I don't know yet if she will be a good mom or not. She is pretty high up on the thrown though if not the top hen so I don't think there would be much if any trouble from my other chickens as they are just reaching laying age anyway so still young.
Any ideas? I could try breaking her of being broody to but I thought I would explore giving her at leased 1 chick to see how she does. She is a very nice quality chicken and has been shown before in 4h taking 2nd place out of all the other silkies at the show I was told...... Havnt shown her ourselves yet..... So I eventually would like to be able to breed her and get some chicks. But I do not want to have to incubate if I can avoid it anyway........ If I give her a chick it would only be a silkie as I am quickly running outa room and silkies are hard to find in my close area..........