First time broody hen

[Mommahen2023]

I have a silkie chicken who acts like she is going broody. She will sit on eggs all morning and after noon. But after she gets up to eat, drink and use the bathroom. She doesn’t get back on her eggs. Until the next morning but she is still very protective over her nest. I just moved her a little bit ago to her own space. Now she refuses to sit them. She shows interest in the eggs but won’t sit on them. What does this mean

 

[fluffycrow]

She might be in a pre-broody state, where she's basically trying out being broody. @sourland can definitely explain it better than me

 

[Mommahen2023]

She might be in a pre-broody state, where she's basically trying out being broody. @sourland can definitely explain it better than me

Is there is anything I can do that will in courage her to stay broody

 

[fluffycrow]

Let her be. Keep the environment calm. Keep eggs in the nest. Pray to the chicken gods she stays broody

 

[Mommahen2023]

Let her be. Keep the environment calm. Keep eggs in the nest. Pray to the chicken gods she stays broody

Okay thanks I just went down to lock up my other chickens and check on her. She moved 4 of the 7 eggs under her. So hopefully this is a start

 

[fluffycrow]

Okay thanks I just went down to lock up my other chickens and check on her. She moved 4 of the 7 eggs under her. So hopefully this is a start

That's definitely positive!

 

[Mommahen2023]

That's definitely positive!

Okay good

 

[Ridgerunner]

There are a lot of different signs that a hen might be broody or might be thinking about going broody. The test I use to see if a hen is broody enough to trust with eggs is that she has to spend two consecutive nights on the nest instead of sleeping in her normal place. Some hens switch straight to being broody in an instant, I've had some think about it for a couple of weeks before deciding one way or the other. So far the two consecutive night test has worked for me.

Once a hen makes the switch to broody it can be hard to break her. But if she hasn't decided it often doesn't take much to break her. I'd leave her alone as much as I could. And leave the eggs with her but consider those eggs as sacrificial. Mark them so you know which ones they are. And collect the eggs you want her to hatch so you can start them all at the same time. When she passes the two consecutive night test remove the old eggs and replace them with the new.

 

[Mommahen2023]

There are a lot of different signs that a hen might be broody or might be thinking about going broody. The test I use to see if a hen is broody enough to trust with eggs is that she has to spend two consecutive nights on the nest instead of sleeping in her normal place. Some hens switch straight to being broody in an instant, I've had some think about it for a couple of weeks before deciding one way or the other. So far the two consecutive night test has worked for me.

Once a hen makes the switch to broody it can be hard to break her. But if she hasn't decided it often doesn't take much to break her. I'd leave her alone as much as I could. And leave the eggs with her but consider those eggs as sacrificial. Mark them so you know which ones they are. And collect the eggs you want her to hatch so you can start them all at the same time. When she passes the two consecutive night test remove the old eggs and replace them with the new.

I still have her in the broody pen so do I need to let her back out with the flock in the morning or no. Cause as of the this evening she was starting to sit on her eggs again

 

[fluffycrow]

No. The most important thing right now is to let her be. Don't constantly move her, in this fragile state it's the most sure fire way to break her