Quick Broody Question

[PamB]

So, my only hen that its laying decided she wants to sit on her egg. I removed the egg (it is not fertilized) and she stayed in the box. When I went to put them to bed, she was still in the box so i pushed her out and made it so she couldn't get back in and she went to sleep with the rest of the chickens. Today, I opened the coop and she came out with the others. However, when my daughter got home from school, she was back in the nesting box sitting on nothing. My daughter removed her and when I checked on her a little while later, she was clucking around the box trying to get back in. Tonight, when I put them to bed, she was sleeping with all the others again. Do I just keep doing this everyday?? I have all Silkies and know they tend to go broody, so I guess my biggest question is: Is it bad to just let her spend her days in the box sitting on nothing??? All my chickens are still young and we aren't ready for more chicks at this time, so giving her chicks to raise isn't an option right now. I appreciate any responses!! Thanks!

 

[newchicksnducks]

I don't know about Silkies, but I have had a couple of broodies. My BA and GLW have both gone broody in the past 6 months. Left alone, they could be broody for weeks or months! My last one I kept taking her out several times a day, putting her on the roost at night, putting her outside when they others were out to free range...She "only" took about 2 weeks to break.

 

[PamB]

Thank you so much for responding! I am taking her out as often as I can. Unfortunately, we are gone all day during the week, so she is probably spending most of her days in the nesting box. I plan on spending much of this weekend removing her.

 

[beachchickie]

I dip mine in cool water until the under belly is wet and cooled down. It has worked for me every time. It works to keep pushing them off the nest but it takes longer.

 

[Southernbelle]

Silkies are hard to break of broodiness. Mine would go broody all the time: lay for a month, go broody, hatch chicks, raise chicks, lay for a month, go broody.....

I don't think tossing her off the nest now and then is going to deter her. One method is to put the hen in a rabbit cage, so cool air can get to their bum until they quit being broody. You'll know she's over her broodiness when she starts to lay eggs again.

My usual method of breaking a broody is to give them eggs and let them hatch something.

If I didn't want the chicks, I'd wait until she was done with them (8 weeks or so) and sell the pullets and give away the cockrels.