Broody silkie

[Penelope59]

I have a flock of 9 hens. All are laying but two. My first experience with a broody hen is happening. My silkie is very broody for a week now. My question- my coop has an automatic door. After all my girls are finished laying for the day, can’t I close the automatic door where she can’t have access to the nesting boxes? Of course I’d open the door for all of them to go in at dark. Since my coop is only for roosting and laying- wouldn’t this be the easiest solution to break her broodiness?

 

[LadiesAndJane]

I have a flock of 9 hens. All are laying but two. My first experience with a broody hen is happening. My silkie is very broody for a week now. My question- my coop has an automatic door. After all my girls are finished laying for the day, can’t I close the automatic door where she can’t have access to the nesting boxes? Of course I’d open the door for all of them to go in at dark. Since my coop is only for roosting and laying- wouldn’t this be the easiest solution to break her broodiness?

Yes this may be helpful keeping her away from her nest box. You can try it for a few days and see if it works. You could also try a “broody jail“ where she is isolated in a cage that is a little bit off the ground so she is unable to sit on the ground. This is what keeps the broody hormones going. Silkies are excellent broodies and because of this it is very difficult to break them.

 

[SilverBirds]

It could work, but Silkies can be very determined, and she may continue to be broody and sit at night. It's also not fair for your other hens to lock them out of the coop all day.

I would suggest using the "broody jail" method to break her. This means keeping her isolated for 24-78hrs to break her of her broodiness. Silkies are notorious for going broody a lot, and you will likely find yourself having to break her more than once.

Here are two articles showing how to make a broody jail.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/broody-breaking-ala-aart.77915/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/outdoor-broody-breaker.76592/

Best of luck!

 

[Penelope59]

Yes this may be helpful keeping her away from her nest box. You can try it for a few days and see if it works. You could also try a “broody jail“ where she is isolated in a cage that is a little bit off the ground so she is unable to sit on the ground. This is what keeps the broody hormones going. Silkies are excellent broodies and because of this it is very difficult to break them.

Thank you! I’m going to try the nesting box idea first. I do have a dog kennel that I can put inside the run and lift off the ground for her.

 

[jBabychickn]

I first exactly tried this with my 5 silkies; (I have an Eglu Omlet for them) but it clearly wasn’t enough. They only break with using the “Broody Jail” method.

I use a bird cage though instead of a dog cage (30”x18”x18”) because the spaces/openings are a lot smaller. With the dog cage, they’d stick their heads through the openings and work it up and down the length of the space, just working themselves like that over and over obsessively; it was very disturbing to see…
This type of cage keeps them a bit calmer. Regardless, they are broody - so they definitely aren’t in the best of moods, of course…
LOL!

 

[Penelope59]

I first exactly tried this with my 5 silkies; (I have an Eglu Omlet for them) but it clearly wasn’t enough. They only break with using the “Broody Jail” method.

I use a bird cage though instead of a dog cage (30”x18”x18”) because the spaces/openings are a lot smaller. With the dog cage, they’d stick their heads through the openings and work it up and down the length of the space, just working themselves like that over and over obsessively; it was very disturbing to see…
This type of cage keeps them a bit calmer. Regardless, they are broody - so they definitely aren’t in the best of moods, of course…
LOL!

Thank you, good to know. I can’t get her to eat or drink unless she’s doing so when I’m not around. I’m afraid of something happening to her.

 

[jBabychickn]

Thank you, good to know. I can’t get her to eat or drink unless she’s doing so when I’m not around. I’m afraid of something happening to her.

Same experiences here as well. They will only eat or drink if you pick them up and carry them directly to food & water, and even then it’s just a bit, then it’s right back to sitting — !!

 

[jBabychickn]

Thank you! I’m going to try the nesting box idea first. I do have a dog kennel that I can put inside the run and lift off the ground for her.

Let us know how this works when you start it!

 

[TinyRaptorDodos]

I’ve heard of people taking the eggs and replacing it with ice to make it too uncomfortable for them, I haven’t experienced any broody hens yet and when I do I plan to let them hatch but I have heard of that technique