I have a broody hen and fertile eggs! Help needed!

[4 Georgia Hens]

Howdy yal! I have a silkie that I believe is broody! Even if she isn’t, I want to have this thread as a reference.
So she is sitting on a bunch of fertile eggs. They are all her eggs. I know that they are fertile because she is bred at least once a day. None of them are marked so I know very little about them. If she is indeed broody, I plan to let her sit on all of them and we will see what happens! Here are my questions:

Should I move her to an empty coop so she can be alone? If yes, when?

Do I need to supply her with food and water in the coop?

How many chicks can an average silkie properly care for?

Please give me any other tips that yal think a newbie will need! Thank you

 

[SueT]

How many eggs, how long has she been sitting, and what other chickens are in the flock, what is her position in pecking order?

 

[4 Georgia Hens]

How many eggs, how long has she been sitting, and what other chickens are in the flock, what is her position in pecking order?

She has been sitting on an off for a while. I don’t know how many eggs, but I’m going to guess 10... I know that they all won’t hatch. I think that she is just under the roosters.

 

[SueT]

On and off doesn't sound promising. She would have to be a dedicated broody to hatch eggs. You can candle each egg to check for development. There are threads describing how to do this.

 

[4 Georgia Hens]

On and off doesn't sound promising. She would have to be a dedicated broody to hatch eggs. You can candle each egg to check for development. There are threads describing how to do this.

I know! She is new to this. Today she stayed on the nest almost the entire day. She got off 2 times for 10 mins each. That is promising!

 

[SueT]

Well when she gets off, start candling eggs and see if any show signs of developing. You don't want rotten eggs exploding under her. Here's an article and a thread, there may be better ones, but these are a start. Hopefully some of the experts will see your questions and join the conversation. I have only experienced one broody with 3 eggs.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ndler-using-common-household-materials.47700/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-to-candle-eggs-that-are-under-broodies.557509/

 

[4 Georgia Hens]

Well when she gets off, start candling eggs and see if any show signs of developing. You don't want rotten eggs exploding under her. Here's an article and a thread, there may be better ones, but these are a start. Hopefully some of the experts will see your questions and join the conversation. I have only experienced one broody with 3 eggs.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ndler-using-common-household-materials.47700/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-to-candle-eggs-that-are-under-broodies.557509/

Ok! Thanks you. I will candle tomorrow!

 

[aart]

Is she on nest most the day and all night?
When you pull her out of nest and put her on the ground, doesn't she flatten right back out into a fluffy screeching pancake?
Does she walk around making a low cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck sound on her way back to the nest?
If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.

 

[Shorty22366]

Let her be. I wouldn't move her. She will need food and water close. I had a silkie hatch 11 chicks and took great care of them all. I left her in the coop with her flock and never had a problem with them
She took them out of the coop when she was ready. My rooster helped her bring them in at night.
All my silkies stay with the flock when they are broody and after hatching them. They are left to raise them as they see fit.
They know how to protect and provide for them.

 

[4 Georgia Hens]

Let her be. I wouldn't move her. She will need food and water close. I had a silkie hatch 11 chicks and took great care of them all. I left her in the coop with her flock and never had a problem with them
She took them out of the coop when she was ready. My rooster helped her bring them in at night.
All my silkies stay with the flock when they are broody and after hatching them. They are left to raise them as they see fit.
They know how to protect and provide for them.

Ok! Thank you so much for answering my questions. I really appreciate it!