Is she broody????

[Rose98]

I have a silky hen who is sitting in the corner where it always lays it eggs sitting on one egg. We did a few tests to try find if it is broody or not. It has plucked its chest a bit, not really interested in food or water, normally is friendly but pecks at our hands, moved the egg away to see if it would roll it back but didn't so picked it up to put it back under, when we put her down again she made a clucky noise (the noise we had heard her make) and walked outside to have a dust bath and know it is back inside (about 15 minutes later)
Do you think she is broody, or egg bound or just tricking????
Thanks.

 

[loverofhatching]

I think she is getting into broody mood.Has she gone broody before ?

 

[Rose98]

No she hasn't gone broody before....

 

[loverofhatching]

Does she stay in nest at night or roosts ?

 

[Rose98]

Yep, she has stayed on the nest tonight.

 

[loverofhatching]

Only not taking egg back under her makes me doubt her broodiness but if you want her to hatch eggs then give her fake/infertile eggs or golf balls for a couple days and when she is used to to eggs, give her the eggs you want to hatch. It is her first time being broody so she cant figure out yet what her hormones are telling her.

 

[Rose98]

I'll try something fake for 2 or 3 days, does that sound alright????
Thanks for your help.

 

[AmericanMom]

Yep, she has stayed on the nest tonight.

Welcome to the wonderful world of Broody hens!

To make sure I would give her atleast another full day and night.. Is she someplace where you can isolate her, maybe put something over her so other hens cannot harass her or lay eggs for her to sit?
When you collect eggs for her to sit make sure to draw a complete line around the whole egg, that way you can see which ones are hers and which ones a sneaky hen gave to her.
I have two broodys and we made a sort of door to cover both of their boxes. I close them off before going to bed and open them back up around 3 pm to allow them to get out, This way most of the hens have laid their eggs for the day and the broodys can get up and move about and do their business.
They each have a dozen eggs under them, one is due two days ahead of the other, I am hoping they will raise the chicks together
Good luck on your new adventure!!

 

[loverofhatching]

Yes that time is sufficient.

 

[Rose98]

Yep, I will isolate so that the others can't get to her once I put some fertile eggs under her.
Thanks for the help.