How to stop a broody silkie ??

[Minette23]

Hello!

My silkie bantam goes broody every few weeks, we let her sit on some eggs last year, but her baby turned out to be a cockrel and now we can't find a new home for him. We already have 2 other cockrels so we really don't want to risk her giving us yet more cockrels!!

How should i go about stopping her when she gets broody? I always take the eggs from the nest asap, and she's very stubborn when i take her out of the nest. I try to shut her outside but she just stands in front of the door all day long waiting to get back on the nest. Argh i dont know what to do, i don't want to stress her out but i really don't want any chicks.

Should i just let her sit on the nest with no eggs in it? Will she eventually stop???? I'm worried that she's not eating or drinking, she must be, but i haven't managed to catch her doing it, but i have seen some MAHOOSIVE poos so that must be her.

Thankyou for any advice!!
Minette la francaise

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

If it were me, I'd just let her be broody on an empty nest. I have read accounts of how people say to put them on wire so that their underside is breezy but I wouldn't bother, personally.

I have enough hens that we wouldn't miss the eggs of our silkies. I planned it that way, lol!

 

[Minette23]

We onyl have one other hen, and she's abit old and only lays from time to time. Ah well I'll just let her sit there like a wolly then.

Thankyou for your advice!

Minette

 

[kannna]

If you want to break her broodyness, this attached thread has a lot of info on the wire cage method. I found that one of mine had gone broody yesterday. I only have two of laying age right now and the other one beat her to it to get the privilege to hatch. I used the cool water dip method. I had to do it twice, but it seems to have stuck the second time. She was up and about this morning like nothing happened yesterday. We'll see how she is when I get home. The theory of the cool water dip method is the same as the cage method. You are cooling down her chest area and this somehow relieves the hot flash that is broody.

Good Luck

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=2176186#p2176186