My hen is broody, but will not take eggs.

[crayon]

I have a little silkie hen who turned into an egg machine this spring- like an egg a day from her. Last week she would not move from her nest. We checked- no eggs under her. So the next day, still there- so we gave her 2 eggs. She rejected both. WHAT? So now she has been sitting for a week with no eggs under her.

Any suggestions?

 

[joan1708]

Are you sure she's broody and not sick? I've gotten used to my silkies being broody a lot. but, I've never tried to put eggs under them. They will sit on whoever lays an egg or just sit there if I've taken the eggs. I can shoo them off the nest for a few minutes to go eat. I quit trying to "break" the broodiness, they will break it themselves in a month or two, but they will usually eat at least once in the morning even when they are broody.

So I guess if you can shoo her off the nest to eat, I wouldn't worry too much. If she's not eating at all, I would worry that she's sick.

 

[crayon]

I don't think she is sick. My husband has said he has seen her eating. And if she was not eating she would be dead by now- it has been more than a week. I have another hen who is on eggs and they are not hatching and it is just driving me crazy!

 

[joan1708]

It used to drive me crazy too. I would sit them in pans of cold water and block the broody out of the nest. Whatever I read I would try. Nothing seems to work, if you ask me. And it just seems a little mean to do, so I quit trying to break them. I have 3 silkies and they seem to take turns being broody. I think my silkies are broody about 1/3 of the time each.

 

[Jharper]

Give her chicks at night and see what happens.

 

[crayon]

My baby chicks are already 4 weeks old right now so I don't think she would take to them if I gave her any.

It is not that I want to break the broody out of her- I would rather her hatch eggs- just not reject them and sit with nothing- it seems like such a waste of summer to be sitting on an empty nest :-(

 

[Jharper]

My baby chicks are already 4 weeks old right now so I don't think she would take to them if I gave her any.


It is not that I want to break the broody out of her- I would rather her hatch eggs- just not reject them and sit with nothing- it seems like such a waste of summer to be sitting on an empty nest :-(  

Can you find some day old to week old chicks?

 

[crayon]

I will see if I can...

 

[Jharper]

I will see if I can...

Ok!

 

[chixaregreat41]

My silkies do that alot she rejected 7 eggs and broke 5 so anyway i just gave her some chicks and it works