Broody Silkie

[chantald]

I knew that Silkies go broody.. and still.. I went and got a silkie..

She has ONLY just started laying eggs.. within the last month.. and the silly fuzzy white furball has gone broody.. and she isn't even sitting on any eggs!!

I keep taking her out of the nest box.. the other hens are getting frustrated she is monopolizing it..they are sitting on top of one another in the other nest box.. (oiy vey)... but she keeps going right back in.

I'm afraid she'll starve or something.. Is there anything to do that doesn't require her isolation.. I don't have the resources to pen a single chicken in her own coop...

 

[Master S.M.C]

put food and water in front of her

 

[chantald]

They are.. not in the nest box.. but the feeder and waterer are in the middle of the coop... ???

Why is she broody with no eggs?? I've no plans on getting more chickens right now.. I have to give many away soon.. I have too many for my space as it is...

 

[crzychicken]

Mine gone broody also 28 weeks old But I'm getting eggs from a neighbor and let her hatch them and maybe 1 or 2 of the other silkie eggs I get tomorrow morning we just made her a nice tote /nest in my feed coop ...

 

[chantald]

Soo.. I should just let her be.. and make her, her own little nest box.. and let her do what she will do?

That's fine.. as long as that's ok.. and my other hens dont' freak out and stop laying..

 

[cluckychick]

When my last two silkies went broody I let them be in the coop with the rest. When they'd get off the empty nest to drink another hen would take her spot to lay an egg and she'd have to find another place to sit. After about 4 months they stopped being broody.

 

[walbarbsa]

Those evil silkies -- they're such motherly types! All of my silkies have hatched babies except for one and she's been sitting on this egg for weeks....I just can't have anymore chicks as I've got 40+ chickens now.

Anyway, the others shoo her out, lay eggs in her nest and then leave her alone. While she's out, she'll eat and drink and raise a ruckus about someone daring to defile her next...

They're so loveable, though, with their little strutting and angry coos! Even the "mutt" silkies receive that motherly gene.

 

[Catalina]

I have a hen that is broody 85% of the time. She lays 13 to 14 eggs and then goes broody again.

Some people break their broodies by putting them in a wire bottomed cage or put a package of frozen veg. under the broody hen.

You want to cool their underside (bottom).
I just take my broody off the nest and put her outside. Over and over again.
It might take 5 times a day for 2-3 days, but eventually she'll get the idea (hopefully).

edited :'cause I can't spell!

 

[Shared Acres]

Put her in your bathtub for about 2 days. That's what I do.

 

[Chicken Lil]

I've got the same problem. My little silkie has been laying for about six weeks and now she is broody. Several people suggested I put her in a cage, but as there isn't enough room for a cage in the hen house she is now in the dog kennel our living room.
My DD is fifteen and is having a fit about it. You would think having my little hen in the house was the worst thing a mother could do to a child.

Anyway, I hope it works, as I really prefer my girls outside!!