over using my broody?

marymac

Songster
11 Years
Jul 12, 2008
814
13
151
Northeast Ohio
I have a silky that went broody about 2 mths. ago. At first I didn't give her any eggs thinking she would break her broodiness. Then when she wouldn't quit setting on her invisible eggs I caved and ordered some BLC Marans eggs. I put all 7 under her. She's in a coop with 4 two month old chicks another silky hen and a silky rooster, so they are all pretty small chickens. It has now been 24 days and nothing has hatched and she is still sitting tight as ever. I'm having my doubts as to anything hatching. I was gona pull the eggs from her tonight, but my question is this. I have 1 BLRW hen that is laying and I am wanting to try and hatch a few of her eggs, just in case something happens to her so that I still have a hen or two to fall back on. would it be detrimental to my silky to give her a couple new eggs to sit on for another 3 wk, since she has been sitting so long already? I have a feeling she is going to sit anyway. I think she is a little crazy for sitting this long, but I never seen such a determined chicken want to be a mommy. I'd like her to take a break but I doubt she'l quit, so what is your opinion as to how long should a silky be left to sit?
 
go ahead i did i have 2 silkies setting that i took their eggs because i order bcm and my order was delay , they didn t tell me i was looking all week for my eggs and finally pm then and then they told me my order would be late. as it was 8 of the 13 eggs have hatched so far in my incubator .
 
If she wants to sit on the eggs, I think it'll be fine. A friend of mine had a silkie that tried to hatch a pine cone all winter. Another friend's silkie would just run and sit on an egg anywhere if she saw one. She did it right in the middle of the chicken run. Too cute. My BCM hen, Fancy, was broody for almost 12 weeks! I did make sure she got food, water and exercise though.......
 
If you're forcing her off the nest to eat, drink, and poo, then she'll most likely be okay. I'd still pick her up to see how her weight is doing. My only hen to go broody only sat for a month (less really) and lost a TON of weight, even with me giving her the boot each day to force her to do those things, and with me handfeeding her treats...
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I don't force her off the nest as she seems to be eating and drinking fine. She'll come out to eat every morning when the rest of the flock come out, but she's always in a big hurry to get right back on the nest.
CHICKMOM, I see you're from Strasburg, have you hatched in cold weather before, and how did it work out?. Thay's another worry I have now that cold weather is here, but I would like to get a few more chicken ready to lay by spring
 

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