I think I have a broody Silkie, but not sure

[mustangsaguaro]

Yesterday I came home from work and noticed my silkie was in the plastic milk crate where she and other's have been laying eggs. I booted her out yesterday and then today when I came home she was in the same place as yesterday. Sitting on a egg, but was not her's. She doesn't poof up or make nasty growly noises like my others hen's that go broody. Do you think this is a broody silkie? I'd like to stick some eggs under her, but if she is not truly broody then don't want to. How many more days should I wait til I know for sure that she is in fact broody. Also, since Silkies are on the small size how many eggs could I stick under her. The eggs would be coming from my Ameraucana's and RIR's. I am thinking 2 maybe 3 eggs at the most since she is a small bird.

Thanks
Kim

 

[seminolewind]

I think she's broody. If she's in there all day except for a break, then she's brooding. If you want chicks, put the eggs under her. I did 4 last year. She was a real good little mom.

 

[happyhens]

Go check on her at night. If all the other birds are on the roost and she is still setting in her nest, I would seperate her from the other chickens and give her 4 or 5 eggs (hint- you can put a couple more eggs under her if the nest is deep. She can keep more eggs warm that way, and that reduces the risk of eggs rolling out from under her). If the weather is too cold for her to be raising chicks, you may want to discourage her from setting. Or you could put a heat lamp over her at night or during cold snaps. Just be sure that she and her eggs/chicks are kept dry and out of the wind. Have fun and good luck!

 

[aberfitch]

silkies are prone to go broody. Sounds like she is broody!

 

[mustangsaguaro]

Well, I am located in the Bay Area of Calif. Weather has been somewhat weird. It was about 75 degrees 2 days ago, now it's rainy, but not really cold. Where she is at I have no way of running power for a heat lamp. Wondering if I should just discourage her from wanting to sit right now and wait till it's really closer to spring. Who know what the weather is going to do in the next couple of weeks. Could rain, could be gorgeous.