silkie gone broody first time

[max101]

my 11 month old silkie has gone broody. She refuses to leave her box. I took the eggs from her but she still sits. I have kicked her out of the hen house but my roo pushes her back and near attacks her. In the end I gave her eggs back and she is happily sitting on them. Her poo stinks is this normal. I have to pick it up and chuck it and it is enormous. She only gets off the nest 1 or 2 times per day. Should I put her in a seperate pen or leave her with my ither silkies. The roo is 9 mths old and the other 2 hens are 9 weeks old. This is the first time I have had chickens I have only had my chooks for 7 month now. It is winter here and our winds havent arrived yet why is she sitting on eggs I thought they didnt lay or sit in winter. Will she be able to raise them without them dieing from the cold. Thanks

 

[Judy]

Silkies are well known to be a broody breed, and they don't care what time of year it is. She should be able to hatch and raise the chicks just fine on her own. Getting off the nest once or twice a day is also quite normal broody behavior. Broody poo is typically huge, once a day, and stinky. Mamas typically do just fine keeping the chicks warm enough.

Some, or maybe many, chickens will slow down with egg laying in the winter, just as they may in the heat of summer. Others will lay through it all, as mine do. Should depend at least partly on how severe your temps are.

It would help if we knew where you are.

 

[max101]

sorry im in Australia. I am pleased that she will be ok. Thanks for telling me their poo smells bad as that was worrying me

 

[Judy]

I kind of figured you were south of the equator. You really should put that in your profile as so many of us are US. We don't need a street address!

Yup, broody poo is really something else.