Broody Silkie turned adoptive mother!

[WhoDatChick]

You should start a new thread not start it on someone else's just FYI... but cannot force a broody they either are or not

It’s totally fine! I don’t mind.. it’s more info and opportunity to learn

 

[pennyJo1960]

I do understand but it is technically called high jacking and not suppose to
better to give a heads up less infractions later right their turn to learn

 

[WhoDatChick]

I do understand but it is technically called high jacking and not suppose to
better to give a heads up less infractions later right their turn to learn

Oh, okay.. yikes.. I think I’ve been guilty of that in the past

 

[Peppercorngal]

Okay yall.. my Silkie Nilky has been broody for quite sometime.. so yesterday while in TSC I picked up 4 Cochin bantams for her.. came home.. put them under her.. right at first she didn’t know what to make of it but she has seemed to “take them under her wing” .. they took to her right away! So now they are happy little babies..
My dilemma is.. she seems to stilll be in broody mode and not yet in mama mode.. they will come out to eat and drink and then she calls them back under and they go running! But she DOES NOT get up to eat or drink.. she just wants them under her.. I was also wondering if she can eat their medicated chick feed as I have them confined to the coop part of my mini prefab TSC coop... we just go a cold snap .. wouldn’t ya know it!
I have never done this before.. I use the dreaded red heat build for my others and I just hate how they are awake constantly and never resting .. so I am SO wanting this to be a success as it is natural! And also, because I think it just might be the most precious thing I’ve ever seenView attachment 1721705View attachment 1721706View attachment 1721707View attachment 1721708View attachment 1721709View attachment 1721710View attachment 1721711

In your photo it looks like the food is right in front of your hen. She doesn't need to get up! Or, perhaps she does get up long enough to poop and eat quickly and you just are not there to see it? She won't starve herself, but if you are worried you can offer her food in a small cup, water too. My broody Maggie only got off her nest two times in 20 days! Since she loves me and I her, I used two Rubbermaid cups to feed and water her. When I offered her food she ate with gusto! You may want to try that.

The chicks are adorable too! Good luck!

 

[Peppercorngal]

I do.. I will take her down everyday and she takes that opportunity to eat, drink, and scratch around..
But now that she is sitting on the chicks.. she will not get up.. she did not eat or drink all day! And as I know of.. she did not yesterday either... I put her down yesterday but she was just so mad that she clucked around and didn’t eat or drink and then I put her with the babies.. so tomorrow I will put them in the grass part of the coop and see what she does.. it was so cold today and I didn’t want to chance her deciding she doesn’t want the chicks.. maybe tomorrow she will go into mama mode

I'm not clear on something. You say that you "take her down" everyday. Down from where? She should be in a nesting box on the floor of the coop so she and the chicks can go out and she can teach them what to eat, etc. If you have them in a place they can't do that the chicks will not do well, they won't learn to find food. Am I misunderstanding? Maggie took her chicks outside in the run on day 3 and started digging up worms for them. I never had to hand "feed" her after her chicks were hatched.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Okay new milestone here have BC marans eggs I was incubating now I get to high jack a bit my Silky the one I named mud she is black has gone broody left their eggs in there for 2 days tonight took the ones from the incubator alive all but two but that is of 8 so 6 carried to Mud pulled all banty one by one replacing with the marans eggs as I went she held her skirt up till I was done then settled on them for the night

 

[Erika Koehn]

You should start a new thread not start it on someone else's just FYI... but cannot force a broody they either are or not

Ya.... Sorry.... But I actually do not remember how to

 

[pennyJo1960]

Ya.... Sorry.... But I actually do not remember how to

Go to Forums, second group choose your subject look top right of that page choose:
Post New Thread if you need further help please send me a private message I am more than willing to help

 

[WhoDatChick]

I'm not clear on something. You say that you "take her down" everyday. Down from where? She should be in a nesting box on the floor of the coop so she and the chicks can go out and she can teach them what to eat, etc. If you have them in a place they can't do that the chicks will not do well, they won't learn to find food. Am I misunderstanding? Maggie took her chicks outside in the run on day 3 and started digging up worms for them. I never had to hand "feed" her after her chicks were hatched.

View attachment 1722119

Okay, I’m sorry.. I would take her down from nest box when she was broody on eggs.. now, I do have her and the chicks confined to the coop part of my prefab TSC coop.. separate coop from big gals. My 4 week olds are utilizing the grass/run area during the day.. I confined her with chicks cuz I wanted her to take to them, plus the only time she is happy/calm is if she is in a nesting area. When I first gave her the chicks I had them in the grass area and all she wanted to do was go back to nest!

Now, about eating.. she does not eat the food in front of her.. I have been watching.. I can see her from house.. I was worried about her today so I took her out and put her in big pen with the other gals as I would before hoping she would eat and drink.. but that DID NOT go over well.. she freaked.. so I put her back.. I made her a scrambled egg and put water on it.. I put that right in front of her and she ate about three quarters of it.. so I feel better now that she has something in her! As for the babies.. they come out every now and then and eat and drink then run back under.. they seem happy and content.. I plan to move the 4week olds to a small pen inside big gals run.. so then I will let Nilky down with the babies in the grass part so they can run around.. but it got very chilly here so Ima wait a day or so... I hope that explains everything this time.

And little Nina did not survive the night.. I had a feeling.. she seemed sickly/weak the moment I brought her home.. and ever so tiny!

 

[WhoDatChick]

Okay new milestone here have BC marans eggs I was incubating now I get to high jack a bit my Silky the one I named mud she is black has gone broody left their eggs in there for 2 days tonight took the ones from the incubator alive all but two but that is of 8 so 6 carried to Mud pulled all banty one by one replacing with the marans eggs as I went she held her skirt up till I was done then settled on them for the night