Can you "trick" a broody?

[brandibaby23]

I have a silkie who just went broody yesterday, and I have some eggs in the incubator, that will be going into lockdown Tomorrow could I put those eggs under her today or tomorrow and her think they were actually hers, even if she hasn't been brooday for 21 days?? Or I have eggs due to hatch the 21st could I wait til then and put 1 or 2 of those under her? Just thought I might trick her?

Oh and she is in the house in a dog crate right now laying on 2 new eggs I put in there for her.

 

[aussieheelr]

It could work. Has she been broody before? If so what was her behavior like then? I know with my cochin I can do that to her and she's just fine with it.

 

[brandibaby23]

I juts got this silkie 2 days ago! I don't know much about her.

 

[gryeyes]

If you just got her 2 days ago, how do you know she's broody? I wouldn't chance it.

 

[mypicklebird]

Really good broodies might take eggs/young chicks and adopt them even if they have not been broody very long- but if you do not know this bird, I would not give her eggs close to hatching yet (or eggs at all). Many hens will not take chicks, if they have only been broody for a few days. Their internal timer needs to run for a few weeks- a hen broody for 2 days will not 'expect' chicks that fast. Silkies are usually very good broodies and mothers, so if anyone could do it- a silkie probably would- but I still wouldn't chance it- as the consequences for the wrong guess is too tragic (ie pecked and dead hatching chicks). If you just got her 2 days ago, she should be in quarantine for observation, checked for lice ect. If she is strongly broody, she will continue to be so and you can give her eggs or chicks later.

 

[brandibaby23]

She is in my "pet" room not out with my flock. She is definitely broody I put eggs from my chickens in with her just to "check" she took them and has not moved since, and it does not matter to me if she hatches them or not was just testing. As far as the chick I did put a chick under her and she was fine with that, to my surprise! She wiggled back and forth as to get settled on top of the chick, it poked its head out next to her head and chirped and she just closed her eyes and went to sleep

I didn't leave the chick with her long, because I don't want to leave it there unsupervised because I know how they can get. But it was an experiment. I won't be putting my hatching eggs under her, because I am too eggcited, to have anything go wrong and it be my fault for putting them there. but thank you all for your advice and ideas. Was just curious.