Quote:
This.
I have 4 silkie hens that were originally incubated. This year alone they have each gone broody 4 times. In fact, I have a pair of pure white sisters that will wait until the other hens have sat on the eggs for 18 days, not showing any signs of broodiness themselves, then they will boot that poor broody off the eggs and raise up the subsequent babies as a team. They must hear the cheeping when the eggs pip. These girls have stolen hatched babies as well, without being broody prior. I even put a few feed store chicks underneath them at night when they were not broody and their response in the morning was "Oh goody! Babies!" I probably couldn't do this with my other 2 girls, but this pair are determined mothers. They just aren't happy if they don't have babies.
Not all silkies are as relentlessly broody as this pair, but every single one of mine does tend towards broodiness at varying degrees.
My question is: will they still go broody, and for 21 days? I'm hoping so, but if not..that a d@mn lot of eggs I'll be eating in the next couple of days...
