Showgirl going broody

[Mylied]

So, I've got this showgirl that just started laying a couple weeks ago. There's a couple of silkies in there that may or may not be laying. The showgirl gathered up a pile of eggs, since I didn't bother to take them out for a few days and was sitting on them. I put the food in and she got off them. Then I didn't see her on them again until later on that night. She slept on them. Next day she was off and on them. It's been going on maybe 3 days. None of them are developing because she hasn't made up her mind on what she wants to do. Is this normal for a recent layer? I don't need the eggs for anything right now, so I don't mind leaving them in with her, but it is becoming quite the pile. Lol. Or should I take them all out and just make her wait a bit until she really goes broody. She does follow me around and keep an eye on me if I'm messing with them.

This is just for my education. I haven't let a broody hatch eggs before since my big girls I have now don't go broody and these other girls that will go broody are young.

 

[Flock Master64]

Do you want her to go broody?

 

[Mylied]

I don't mind either way. Just was wondering about the getting off and on the eggs, instead of parking her butt their like a normal broody.

 

[Flock Master64]

None of my hens have ever been broody so I really don't know

 

[Mylied]

I've had hens go broody but not with fertile eggs. They wouldn't moved unless I moved them. But I didn't really notice until they were at that stage.

 

[Mylied]

She decided to finally go full broody. She's been setting for real since Monday.

 

[Mylied]

So much for my hen being broody. A hawk got trapped in the pen and scared her off the nest. I took the eggs inside and put them in an incubator. If she decides to set again before they hatch, I'll give them back. I'd rather not raise them, but I will if I need to. Sadly, the hawk ate on one of my silkies before realizing it was stuck. None of the other three birds were hurt. We did free the hawk. I think it'll be too traumatized to come back. Plus I'm going to cover the holes up top with chicken wire. Didn't think a hawk would try to fly in that way.

 

[Flock Master64]

So much for my hen being broody. A hawk got trapped in the pen and scared her off the nest. I took the eggs inside and put them in an incubator. If she decides to set again before they hatch, I'll give them back. I'd rather not raise them, but I will if I need to. Sadly, the hawk ate on one of my silkies before realizing it was stuck. None of the other three birds were hurt. We did free the hawk. I think it'll be too traumatized to come back. Plus I'm going to cover the holes up top with chicken wire. Didn't think a hawk would try to fly in that way.

That sucks you lost one :/ you have a beautiful set up by the way

 

[Mylied]

That sucks you lost one :/ you have a beautiful set up by the way

Thank you. I thought it would be funny if the showgirls had an old timey saloon as their house. It isn't quite complete since I ran out of time before they had to move in, but I will get it done eventually. I guess I don't have a very good picture of it, but here's the best I got.