Possible Broody Silkie

[Adora]

My silkie has herself holed up in the nesting box. She will not come out. She fluffs herself up when I come near, and kinda growls at me. I haven't noticed her plucking any feathers out from her chest. She just started this yesterday after their free range time. She has not left the box. I put an egg under her, and she accepted it. She also has a minor sneeze that I hope to get antibiotics for Monday. Anybody have any comments or anything. I have heard of them going broody, but I thought that they plucked feathers from their chest/breast region when they are, I'm not seeing this with Bigeese (the silkie my 6 yr old Autistic son named her

).
I would love to think she is broody, I'd love to have some silkie chicks, but it's so late in the year, if she hatched one, would it even have a fighting chance unless I brought it in?
comments and suggestions are very much welcome. Okay, getting ready for school. Will check the thread at break time, or possibly sooner.

 

[Adora]

no one?

 

[Kschut669]

I don't know why she isn't plucking feathers off her breast but one way you can tell is by the size of her poo. Is it HUGE and smelly? Hens often do this when broody since they won't be able to leave and go as much, since they are on eggs. When when she growls and fluffs herself up That makes it sound like she is doing this to protect her "babies". Do you have a rooster? Because otherwise its not a fertile egg. I personally would not let her hatch any eggs . But it depends were you live. Hens should have the winter off for feather growth and a rest from laying eggs everyday. Not worrying and fussing over baby chicks. Thats what the spring and summer are for. I suppose if you want to you could take them in, but also realize if they are fertile, and it gets cold out and she gets bored with her job she could abandon then and they would freeze, and the babies would die. Hope this helps??!!
P.S I LOVE SILKIES!!!!

 

[Kschut669]

Also since she's not in the best health, if I understand correctly? Would be bad to raise babies. She needs time to recooperate. Sorry if i'm being a downer on your chick dreams. I'm not saying you CAN'T do it. Not like I could stop you. Just what I think.

 

[dieselgrl48]

My Almost one year old silkie has just hatched a clutch of egg's in the last couple of day's.She hatched 5 out about 3 month's ago a couple being OEGB babie's but she did Super with them.It' has gotten colder here down in the 40's night and so far I have had to bring in 3 of the 5 chick's so far.Actualy one I gave to her yesterday from my Giant frizzle hen as she had already lost one of her's too

. She seem's a bit clumsy yet but she is trying.I went out this morn and 2 of the babie's were out of box almost for dead I thought the one was.I brought them in and put them in hatcher and withing a couple of hours they were peeping and all fluffed again.Same this eve for the adoptee chick.She still has 2 her own silkie chick and look's like another cochin but they seem stronger than the rest were but will def. keep a check on them.I had my first silkie 5 years ago hatch and raise 12 babie's in late cold Nov.I think she did lose one but the other's did really well.Hen's have a mind of their own and nature will take it's course and they will brood in dead of winter.Yes hen's do produce the big poo's when broody I suppose it's where they sit in the nest so long.DH love's the new silkie baby and said I should just bring the other 2 in but I checked her at bedtime and she had the 2 under her along with 3 remaining egg's.Will check asap in the morn and hope they are ok and so far the 3 poor lil cold ones have snapped back and in the brooder with other chicks so...They alllll so darn cuteThey all look like cochin's!Hope you decide what to do with your's and hope you get some chick's.

 

[Adora]

Well, she won't let me collect the eggs, I only have one laying box, and she refuses to let the other 3 girls in to lay. Idk how many she is even laying on, other than the one that I gave her this morning. I don't know how to make her stop trying to hatch them, I'm not sticking my hand back in there to get it, she's actually kinda scaring me when I attempt to reach in there, she acts like she might peck me at any time. All Ik is, even if she does hatch one, I'm more than likely gonna bring it in the house, if she gets bored of laying and the eggs go bad, thats all fine and dandy too, this is her first time, so I just decided to go with the flow.
I'm sure her eggs are fertile, her hubby Boyboy(a silkie Roo, also named by my son), is doing a good job making sure they are.
Idk how big her poops are, the nesting box is an old cat carrier, and I go to school during the day.
This is her first time going broody, if that is in fact what is happening, and my first time too. All I actually know for sure is, she stays in the box, and won't come out, not even for food, and fluffs up and growls at me when I try to stick my hand in. I saw her out of the box briefly when I came home from school (although my eyes may have been playing tricks on me and it was Boyboy).
It's only been in the high 50's here at night, I think tonight is the coldest one this week at 47.

 

[Three Cedars Silkies]

Yes, she is broody. Make sure you keep food and water close for her. And many times a broody hen will peck you very hard when you try to get the eggs out from under her.

You need to make at least one more nesting box for your other hens. You don't want her sitting on eggs that have been laid days and days apart.

 

[Adora]

Well, I collect daily, so unless one got an egg in before yesterday afternoon, before the free range time was over, she more than likely only has two, one she might have laid, and the one she laid yesterday, I gave it back to her this morning, it wasn't refrigerated, I had it sitting on the table all night.
I put some boss, mixed with some crumbles and scratch in the box with her, tomorrow I'll take the chick waterer out to the box for her.