Hey everyone, So my silkie hen has gone broody for the third time in 3 months (i know, shocker..) Everytime we break her, she is very upset and just mopes around the coop. She is at the bottom of the pecking order and I just feel so bad for her. We do not have any roosters (we live in gainesville city limits), but I was wondering if we just continue to break her and forget about it. OR if we could get fertilized eggs and let her baby them. Her previous owner said she sat well for 3 hatchings and is a good mom (another reason why I feel bad). Any advice?
Its all up to you really. I would probably do it 'cause I want chicks pretty bad right now! Do you think your up to taking care of a broody hen at the moment? If so here is a couple links to great articles about the subject! https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/encouraging-or-discouraging-broodiness-in-your-hens https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/broody-hens https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/guide-to-letting-broody-hens-hatch-and-raise-chicks (The last one is my favorite!)
Are you limited to the number of chickens you're allowed where you live? Do you have room to keep them all if you're not limited? What would you do with the babies if you can't keep them? Are you planning on getting her eggs to hatch every time she goes broody? Are you allowed to have roosters? Do you have a plan for the extra roosters you can't keep? (There WILL be some) Finding homes for excess roosters is hard to do. They will most likely end up in someone's stew pot. Is that OK with you? You need to think about all of these things before you hatch out chicks.
1. yes we are limited to 10 chickens per house (I currently have 7 hens) 2. We would build a special pen (like the quarantine pens) for the broody hen if we let her sit 3. give or sell the babies when they are hatched. Also some of our hens are in the 3-4 age and are ready for our stewpot. the chicks will most likely replace them. 4. I don't think she will keep going broody as she is 2 yrs old now and that wasn't in the characteristics described by her previous owners. They said she went broody in spring and was fine by summer 5. we are not allowed to have roosters. the minute someone crows we will give away (there is are a few farms near me who take roosters) or stew them