Silkie broody but not?

[Heatherwicz]

I currently have two silkies, both raised together and both are hens. Lint-Roller, has been broody for about 1&1/2 months,(we have given her fertile eggs to sit on since we don’t have a rooster), and she is full broody. Refuses to leave the nesting box, makes the mad mama screech and fluffs up when ever she sees or hears anything. The other silkie, Licorice, on the other hand is the one that’s acting weird. She will hide in the nesting box for a few hours, will act like a typically broody hen in the box, but will come out and act completely unbroody until she’s within a couple feet of the coop. She’ll go into making the broody squawk, and fluff up, but will continue to walk around and refuses to actually sit on any eggs. Does this mean she will eventually go into ‘full broody’ or is this just how some hens are?

 

[sourland]

Sounds as if she is 'pre broody'. Is she still laying eggs ?

 

[mviera101]

I don't know about broody hens as I cannot have a rooster. Is your Silkie named Link Roller?Now that's both hysterical and creative!

 

[Heatherwicz]

Sounds as if she is 'pre broody'. Is she still laying eggs ?

She laid eggs a couple days ago, but not in the past 3

 

[chickenhappy1233]

Sounds as if she is 'pre broody'. Is she still laying eggs ?

x2 thats how my cochins acted about a week before they went broody

 

[Heatherwicz]

I don't know about broody hens as I cannot have a rooster. Is your Silkie named Link Roller?Now that's both hysterical and creative!

Haha yes! She is! She’s my blue silkie, as a chick she matched the color of lint perfectly,(being a powdery blueish/gray) so we named her it! Still matches her perfectly to this day =)

 

[Chicalina]

I don't know about broody hens as I cannot have a rooster.

Hens going broody have zero to do with roosters. They will go broody if their hormones dictate. Eggs can be fertile or not, and there can be a rooster around or not, it makes no difference.

 

[Chicalina]

OP it sounds like your hen is half broody to me. If you want her to sit on eggs, you can wait a few days, or confine her in a box on some fake eggs for a few days to get her used to it before putting real fertile eggs under her.

If you don't want her to be broody then now is the best time to nip it in the bud. Shut her out of any nest boxes for a few days, and keep her interested and distracted with something outdoors, like a new roost or toy or some small treats at regular intervals.

If she goes full broody and you don't want her to them you need to break her. There are various methods depending on how committed she is.

 

[mviera101]

Wow ...I've had hens for years and never has one gone broody?

 

[MadamPoofyBrow]

Sounds as if she is 'pre broody'. Is she still laying eggs ?

X2, my hens act like this about a week or so before they go broody. Sometimes they continue to lay, sometimes not