Is she broody or sick?

[audra72]

Pardon my ignorance. This is our first experience with chickens. We have a silkie approximately 10 months old. Her name is Mudpie. For the past 2 days she has sat in the corner of the coop. She rarely gets up and about. Is very alert. I physically picked her up earlier this evening and put her at the food hanger. She ate her fill and back to the corner she went.
She has NO eggs under her....just sits. When I go see her and talk to her she does this bowing action and makes this purring sound. Is she ok? What's going on?

 

[Amarisus]

Sounds broody to me, she is a silkie so it's expected lol

 

[nuchickontheblock]

Agreed. Sounds like the start of the broody thing.

 

[audra72]

Obviously I'm clueless. LOL I'm worried about her. She's my fav.

 

[Kim95037]

My silkie does the same thing. When she gets broody thats IT. Even if theres no eggs to sit on she will still sit there on the hay. Keep an eye on her but I would bet she's just broody. Thats what silkies do. Mine goes broody like clockwork about every two and a half weeks. I got some eggs for her to hatch thinking that might get it out of her system, but she went back to being broody after the chicks were good to go on their own.

 

[audra72]

My silkie does the same thing. When she gets broody thats IT. Even if theres no eggs to sit on she will still sit there on the hay. Keep an eye on her but I would bet she's just  broody. Thats what silkies do. Mine goes broody like clockwork about every two and a half weeks. I got some eggs for her to hatch thinking that might get it out of her system, but she went back to being broody after the chicks were good to go on their own.

Thank God for you guys and your quick answers. It makes me feel better.

 

[audra72]

Next question- if there are no eggs under her....how long will she do this?

 

[nuchickontheblock]

I had a chicken who was broody for 40 straight days sitting on nothing. She ended up skin and bones. Not good. Now if she even looks vaguely broody, I pop her into the broody cage for a day or two. I hate to do it though because she is blind and gets disoriented and won't eat.

 

[Kim95037]

My silkie does the same thing, she'll try to hatch the hay if you let her. Theres no telling how long she will be broody. Ive never had more than one silkie so I dont know if they all act the same or not, although now I do have a baby silkie so Im about to find out. Mine gets that like and stays like that for about a couple of weeks. I should keep track of it just for the heck of it, its pretty much like clockwork. Im not even as consistent with my period! When I get home from work I always take the eggs away from her if theres any under her, or unless we're trying to hatch something, and I physically pick her up and boot her butt outside with the rest of the chickens outside of the run. Then I make sure I have some treats for everyone. It distracts her for a little bit and she gets some food down her and she does a little bit of scratching looking for bugs. She doesnt stay out as long with the rest of the chickens but it breaks it up for her. This is another reason I keep a small feeder and waterer inside my coop so she doesnt have as far to go as far for nourishment. Right now she's just hatched a silkie and I have the food and water right in the nesting box with her.Keep an eye on her, maybe give her some extra nutrition like some yogurt or dried meal worms, or maybe some watermelon which helps with hydration. Sometimes if I'll even bring her inside by herself so she doesnt have to compete with the other chickens for the treats. She'll probably be ok, just keep an eye on her, maybe some snacks and kick her little butt out of the nest for a little bit. She may just march right back in there, which my silkie does sometimes but its worth a shot.
'

 

[Kim95037]

Hey whats a splash Orpington? That sounds interesting. My orange Orpington just ate a 3/4 wood screw, Im pretty nervous about it. She gobbled it up so quick, DANGIT I saw her coming and I just wasnt fast enough. Im expanding my coop and remodeling one I built on line to make it water tight

(See the Bungalow Bungle thread) so I had a few screws down on the ground.