How to encourage broodiness?

[won023]

Hi guys.
I have just brought home a Chocolate cukoo Silkie (Miss Coco)
I have been told she has been broody and raised a brood of chicks before and seeems to be very broody. She initially was sitting on eggs up until the point I collected her home. She was getting use to surroundings etc. I isolated her to her own house for privacy and put her old bedding and eggs in there but she doesn’t seem to be sitting on them anymore. She sits next to the eggs now is there a way to encourage broodiness again? Will she get back to sitting after she gets use to her new environment if so how long? Thanks

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Wow, very pretty and unique!

Have you tried tucking them back under her where she is?

She will very likely go broody and sit again after she adjusts to the new surroundings... since she has priors. Some of my girls will take 3 weeks... 1 to return to lay and then lay for two week and become just as broody as ever.

If she has indeed stopped, I would get her integrated into your current flock as soon as possible (presuming you aren't quarantining). And provide good nutrition, not diminished too much by low nutrient treats like scratch or cracked corn. Some of my gals only brood twice per year... but most of my Silkies are like clock work on that 3 week dot. Though when I did move the flock I got a whole month broody free once.

Minimize predator or other stress and maximize nutrition. Since she has already been sitting (do you know for how long) I would do a vitamin supplement like poultry Nutri drench. And a "higher" protein feed like flock raiser (than layer) with oyster shell available on the side. Since I do flock raiser with OS on the side for layers... I don't need to switch when chicks do arrive because it is safe for them and I have been raising my birds like this for a few years now... and had broody's in the breaker all winter long despite people saying it isn't normal... It isn't normal in nature because winter usually has diminished feed choices available... not so in our homes.

Hopefully I will find cuckoo Silkies in the future. I've been looking for a couple months now with no success YET.

Good luck!

 

[won023]

Wow, very pretty and unique!

Have you tried tucking them back under her where she is?

She will very likely go broody and sit again after she adjusts to the new surroundings... since she has priors. Some of my girls will take 3 weeks... 1 to return to lay and then lay for two week and become just as broody as ever.

If she has indeed stopped, I would get her integrated into your current flock as soon as possible (presuming you aren't quarantining). And provide good nutrition, not diminished too much by low nutrient treats like scratch or cracked corn. Some of my gals only brood twice per year... but most of my Silkies are like clock work on that 3 week dot. Though when I did move the flock I got a whole month broody free once.

Minimize predator or other stress and maximize nutrition. Since she has already been sitting (do you know for how long) I would do a vitamin supplement like poultry Nutri drench. And a "higher" protein feed like flock raiser (than layer) with oyster shell available on the side. Since I do flock raiser with OS on the side for layers... I don't need to switch when chicks do arrive because it is safe for them and I have been raising my birds like this for a few years now... and had broody's in the breaker all winter long despite people saying it isn't normal... It isn't normal in nature because winter usually has diminished feed choices available... not so in our homes.

Hopefully I will find cuckoo Silkies in the future. I've been looking for a couple months now with no success YET.

Good luck!

Thanks for the reply! I will definitely try methods above. I have just tried tucking eggs under her so hopefully she will start again, she’s around 13 months and was only told she is sitting and is very broody and wants chicks... thanks for the advice I really appreciate it and hope your search for a cuckoo silkie is successful

 

[bobbi-j]

Do you have an incubator or access to one in case the move broke her broodiness?

 

[won023]

Yea I have one . I think trucking the eggs in her worked as She is
Not moving and on the eggs...

Do you have an incubator or access to one in case the move broke her broodiness?

 

[bobbi-j]

Yea I have one . I think trucking the eggs in her worked as She is
Not moving and on the eggs...

Good - I hope she stays on them!

 

[won023]

Good - I hope she stays on them!

Woke up this morning and she seemed to not be on them anymore but she started to tuck some eggs in her self again is she trying to be broody?

 

[ayamEC]

It looks like it. If she does not get up off the eggs hardly ever then she is likely broody. My silkie would not get broody, but then when I put a goose egg in her nesting box she got broody. I have had trouble getting her to eat and drink daily so won’t get off her egg. Sometimes chickens just want to hatch a certain egg really badly.