Do you think my silkie is broody?

[PouleChick]

I bought my 2 silkies to be mummies as I don't want to go down the incubator route but want to build my flock from scratch (just have 3 laying pullets to get me going while I hatch more!). We have had them about 5 weeks - both silkies are 1-2 years old and both been mums before. I am suspicious that Hermione may well have gone broody - she was in from around lunch time yesterday, slept in the nesting box and stayed there this morning, I was about to start sourcing eggs to put under her when she went outside in the sun (was gorgeous here today - over 20 degrees celsius) so I decided she wasn't. She was out for maybe an hour, possibly more I'm not really sure, however when I went back out a bit later she was back in the nesting box (which has 6 full sized hardboiled eggs (from someones idea on here to do so!) in it ). When I went out to shut them up poor Doris was on her own on the perch (they are currently in a different coop to the big girls but share the run in the day) so this is the 2nd night she has slept in the nest. The thing that is making me doubt a little too is that she laid an egg today - is that OK or would that say that she isn't? Could she just be hiding in there from the other chickens (they have only been fully intergrated in the days the last few days and she has had a few falling outs with the others).

I saw that @Ridgerunner you said on another thread (I've been trying to find my answers without having to post again!) that 2 nights and you are happy they are broody? But what about the 'abandoning' the eggs for the hour or so (albeit at the warmest part of the day) if they were real eggs not hardboiled would that have killed them?
Any other things I should look for to make the call - I can't work out if I'm just being hopeful (I didn't expect it to happen for a few months I think!)?

So frustrating as I ate the eggs I'd kept from when they were with their rooster only a few days ago (actually I still have the last one but it was laid the 21/03 so too old to be viable?)! A few questions if you think she is broody:
How long have I got to source some eggs?
How many eggs should I put under her? She isn't a small silkie - here they call them 'grande' so guessing what in English would be standard? She seems to be sitting on the 6 with no problems - would 8 be too many?

 

[CSAchook]

Hello! I am hatching eggs with a broody for the first time right now! I found this article extremely helpful
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/guide-to-letting-broody-hens-hatch-and-raise-chicks.65989/
Also post number 9 on this thread
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/new-chicken-person-is-she-broody.1200316/#post-19003408

My girls are big so I am not sure how many eggs a silkie can cover. Maybe try giving her a few more infertile eggs and see how she does? If it looks like she is struggling to keep everything covered you know it is too many.

Also, I think if you get the hatching eggs within a week of her going broody you should be fine. My girl is young and unproven so I waited a week to see if she was serious before buying hatching eggs. Doesn’t seem to have done any harm.

Good luck! Hope you have little chickies soon!

 

[Ridgerunner]

A broody hen should not be laying eggs. If an egg is laid after she starts brooding that egg will not be incubated enough for it to hatch, plus she would be wasting a lot of nutrients making that egg that she needs to support herself. Some hens have been known to carry eggs to their nest. It is always possible another hen laid an egg in her nest, that happens a lot. When I give a broody hen eggs to hatch I mark them and check under her daily to remove any that do not belong.

Before a hen goes broody she stores up excess fat. That is mostly what a broody hen lives off of wile broody. But she still needs to go off the nest occasionally for a bite of food, some water, and to go poop. In cold weather I have had hens leave the nest for about 15 minutes once a day to do that. In warm weather I have had hens leave the nest twice a day and stay off for more than an hour each time. The eggs hatch fine either way.

You have at least a week to source eggs if she is really broody. I often wait a week to collect enough eggs before I give them to her. They are living animals so no one can give you guarantees to behavior but I do not worry about a week at all.

Eggs and hens come in different sizes. A small bantam may have trouble covering 4 full sized eggs. Who knows how many bantam eggs a full sized hen could cover? I normally give my hens 12 eggs the size that they lay, but not always. I once had a hen that could comfortably 10 eggs that size. I have given some hens as many as 16 eggs and they hatched fine. The hen needs to be able to cover all of them comfortably and maybe have room for one or two more in case a strange egg shows up. Just use your judgement on that.

 

[PouleChick]

It is always possible another hen laid an egg in her nest, that happens a lot.

It is possible that Doris snuck in and laid an egg.

In warm weather I have had hens leave the nest twice a day and stay off for more than an hour each time. The eggs hatch fine either way.

This was exactly the info I was hoping for - thanks @Ridgerunner It is much cooler today and she seemed to just come out to eat and drink and poo then went straight back so they must have an inbuilt instinct about the weather - obviously she thought it was warm enough yesterday to spend a bit more time away (from her hardboiled eggs ). We are at the 48 hours now with 2 nights in the nest - so feeling pretty positive .

You have at least a week to source eggs if she is really broody. I often wait a week to collect enough eggs before I give them to her. They are living animals so no one can give you guarantees to behavior but I do not worry about a week at all.

Great - I emailed some breeders just waiting to hear back from them - hoping to get some Black Copper Marans, Cream Legbar and Aracuanas

I normally give my hens 12 eggs the size that they lay, but not always

So the silkie eggs are 2/3 the size of other eggs (so 40gm to 60 average from 'normal' eggs) so I am thinking 8 should be OK as that is 2/3 of 12?

Thanks for your help.

 

[PouleChick]

A broody hen should not be laying eggs

Mystery of this one solved - I actually physically saw Doris (the other silkie) laying an egg today and it was the longer, thinner, whiter design egg which I thought was Hermiones so the egg I got out the other day is definitely not Hermiones so she has not laid since she went broody. She tried to peck me earlier when I got too close so I think I can safely go buy some eggs as we are now 3 days in.