Silkie Hen Staying In Nesting Box ALL DAY?????

[tylgar6601]

I hope this is the appropriate place to ask this question. I have a Silkie hen that is a little over a year old. She has set in her nesting box ALL DAY. She is in a pen with a few more hens, and a rooster. We just put the other hens in a few weeks ago, but she has been with the rooster for a long time. I just knew when I finally went out to check on her that she would be setting on an egg, but to my SURPRISE she was setting on NOTHING!!! I picked her up, loved on her and put her in the pen. She ate, drank, scratched around for a short time, stretched her wings then went back to her nesting box. I have had these chickens since babies and she has never done this. I am not very knowledgable on this subject so ANY ADVICE will be greatly appreciated!!!!!

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

She's probably broody. My Silkie hens will sit on anything when they want babies (nothing, rocks, plastic eggs). You could give her some eggs to hatch, or keep taking the eggs out until she gets over it. Good luck!

 

[travifive]

I've heard the same thing about silkies. Around where I live people love them because they will set on anything. They use them and old english game hens as incubators. I've even heard of people using them to hatch turkey eggs! I would find her some fertile eggs and give her a job. Sounds like you raised a really cute incubator!

 

[tylgar6601]

Thank you both for your advice. I have some info to add to my question. She normally lays an egg every other day and sometimes every day. Since she has been "setting" she hasn't layed an egg AT ALL. Is this normal????
I talked with one of the Vets at our clinic that we take our dogs too hoping for some advice. He let me know in a very sarcastic tone that he knows nothing about chickens and to "let her be and she will get better one way or the other." I wont even begin to tell you what I told him!!!! When he seen that I wasn't happy with his humor he said she could be "egg bound" and we could take an x-ray to see. I ask him if they could do this with no eggs to set on and he said "No chickens don't do that" From what I have read they can do this. She is still eating and drinking and seems to feel ok.
This is my boys little hen and I don't want anything to happen to her. I am just so mad at that Vet!!!! What do you think about her not laying an egg in the past 4-5 days?????

 

[SarahInAlaska]

Thank you both for your advice. I have some info to add to my question. She normally lays an egg every other day and sometimes every day. Since she has been "setting" she hasn't layed an egg AT ALL. Is this normal????
I talked with one of the Vets at our clinic that we take our dogs too hoping for some advice. He let me know in a very sarcastic tone that he knows nothing about chickens and to "let her be and she will get better one way or the other." I wont even begin to tell you what I told him!!!! When he seen that I wasn't happy with his humor he said she could be "egg bound" and we could take an x-ray to see. I ask him if they could do this with no eggs to set on and he said "No chickens don't do that" From what I have read they can do this. She is still eating and drinking and seems to feel ok.
This is my boys little hen and I don't want anything to happen to her. I am just so mad at that Vet!!!! What do you think about her not laying an egg in the past 4-5 days?????

I've heard that Silkies will sit even without anything. They are super broody birds. I just got one a few weeks ago and she's adopted all my chicks and hasn't laid a thing. They love to be mommies! As long as she's eating and drinking and looking healthy she should be fine. If you are really concerned you can try to break her brood. I've heard a lot of people on here say to put them in a wire bottom cage with a fan blowing up on them and it should help break the brood. I'd try that before trying an x-ray.

 

[PSJ]

sounds like a 100% broody hen. You can either give her some fertile eggs to hatch or break her. Either way, let us know what you want to do and we will tell you what steps to take next.

 

[travifive]

I've heard a lot of people on here say to put them in a wire bottom cage with a fan blowing up on them and it should help break the brood. I'd try that before trying an x-ray.

That's a really good idea!

If you think it really is her being eggbound here are some links that will hopefully help. But, if the weather has been kind of crazy(extreme highs and lows from one day to the next) it could be just her body being confused about when spring will start. If she's not straining or walking funny then I wouldn't worry too much.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/2528/my-very-first-emergency-egg-bound-pictures-included
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/793/please-help-my-chicken-with-prolapse

...and don't stress yourself over what the vet said. Remember, he said he didn't really know a whole lot about chickens anyway. Maybe a farm animal vet would be better equipped to take a look.

 

[tylgar6601]

Thanks everybody. I am convinced now that I have a broody hen I got an egg from our other chicken house,(I have a Silkie pen with a few Silkies and then another bigger pen with my sons 25 4-H hens in it.) just to see what she would do with an egg. I put the egg in her nest and she turned it and set on it and pulled the bedding up around her. It was quite sweet to watch. She came down yesterday and took 2 NICE dirt baths and ate and drink so she can't feel too bad or she wouldn't be eating or drinking. Sure she may have come down more than this but I didn't see her do it anymore. I am not sure what I am gonna do. If I will try to stop her or give her an egg to raise. I am just so happy to know she is ok. If we give her an egg to raise should I isolate her or will she be ok in the pen with the other 2 hens and my little Silkie rooster?
Sorry for all the questions, I have had our chickens for almost a year and was getting pretty confident in my chicken knowledge.....then she does this and proves to me I don't know as much as I thought I did

 

[PSJ]

No worries about the questions.. Ask away! Yes, I confine my broodies. There are just too many things that can happen if you don't. It's all about personal preference tho, I guess. The other hens can mess with her, she may steal eggs, then hatch dates will be off.... Lots of things. I put my broodies in a dog kennel with plenty of room to stretch and put the food and water close by.

 

[tmpar]

I have a buff orpington that has been in her box for a few weeks now. She never comes out. I put her out in the morning and she goes and gets a drink and scratches around and clucks constantly and sometimes dashes like a hornet away from the other hens. they are all a year old. She does not stay out long either and goes back to the box. She does not lay eggs or sit on them there are eggs in the other boxes and she chooses a box with no eggs to sit in. Any suggestions?