Mother hen trying to hatch eggs?!

[calychicken]

My favorite hen, Baby chick, (a 11-month-old silkie mix) hatched out three chicks 5 weeks ago. This morning when I let her and her chicks out, she went into a box of hay I had in my garage and started freaking out. I knew what she was doing, so I put some ping pong balls down because she didn't know where to lay. I'm a bit worried she is going to try to sit on them and neglect her own babies. She's an extreme broody, and constantly tries to sit. Is there any way to change this?

 

[SueT]

5 weeks old, they are probably weaned. My hens wean chicks from 4 to 6 weeks of age.

 

[calychicken]

5 weeks old, they are probably weaned. My hens wean chicks from 4 to 6 weeks of age.

Well, she just got off the nest and left... a weirdly oblong egg. Maybe it looks so weird because she hasn't laid in a long time.

 

[CrazyChickLady64]

My favorite hen, Baby chick, (a 11-month-old silkie mix) hatched out three chicks 5 weeks ago. This morning when I let her and her chicks out, she went into a box of hay I had in my garage and started freaking out. I knew what she was doing, so I put some ping pong balls down because she didn't know where to lay. I'm a bit worried she is going to try to sit on them and neglect her own babies. She's an extreme broody, and constantly tries to sit. Is there any way to change this?

You can try keeping her locked out of any areas she could sit on eggs during the day for a few days. I have read if they continue to be broody you can put them in a a cage like dog crate with food and water of course and with no place comfortable to sit on eggs for a few days. Hope this helps

 

[SueT]

I can usually break the broodiness by putting the hen in a wire bottom cage in our cool basement. It takes 2-3 days/nights in broody jail and they go back to normal. But some, I have heard, may be incorrigible. I have an 11 month old bantam EE who I have been unable to break. I finally gave her one egg, which hatched yesterday. I HOPE she's done for the year, but your story isn't reassuring!

 

[aart]

so I put some ping pong balls down because she didn't know where to lay.

Where did she lay before she hatched the chicks?
Is the box of hay where she incubated the chicks?

 

[calychicken]

Where did she lay before she hatched the chicks?
Is the box of hay where she incubated the chicks?

She laid in our house before since she was raised as a solo house chicken. She also incubated indoors. She did try to fly at the window to get in to lay the egg, but her cage is in my garage now.

 

[aart]

She laid in our house before since she was raised as a solo house chicken. She also incubated indoors. She did try to fly at the window to get in to lay the egg, but her cage is in my garage now.

Does she live with the rest of the flock....and they have nests in a coop?

 

[calychicken]

Does she live with the rest of the flock....and they have nests in a coop?

Yes, but she won't use the nests in the coop