Silkie keeps leaving nest

[ChickCrazyWorryWort]

So my silkie has 9 eggs but she doesn’t sit constantly. When she’s laying and I try to stick my hand near her she’ll peck at me but she’ll leave the nest for hours just doing random stuff in the run. I have another silkie that is broody in the same coop and I’ve noticed sometimes she’ll go back and forth laying on each clutch when the other is away. Anyone know what’s going on? Thank you!

 

[Kellyjenny]

They take breaks cuz they want to get up poop eat and drink and then they'll go back in on their eggs it very normal. And they will pack at you if you go near them when they're broody. It's like they're protecting their babies you probably already knew that.

 

[neo71665]

If she is leaving for hours at a time she isn't fully broody. It's not really good the other one is getting confused and sitting on the wrong nest.

 

[ChickCrazyWorryWort]

If she is leaving for hours at a time she isn't fully broody. It's not really good the other one is getting confused and sitting on the wrong nest.

What should I do about it? I didn’t really want to separate them from each other or from their rooster because of the whole pecking order. One hen was more aggressive then the other even though I got them all at the same time. It’s only the 2 hens and 1 rooster in that coop and run.

 

[Kellyjenny]

@CluckNDoodle can you help please

 

[yakitori]

How’s the weather where you live?

 

[CluckNDoodle]

There isn't anything you can do to make the hen stay unfortunately. As far as the other hen getting confused, you can put her in a separate broody pen with her eggs so there's no chance of confusion.

 

[ChickCrazyWorryWort]

How’s the weather where you live?

It’s been high 80’s low 90’s

 

[ChickCrazyWorryWort]

The grey one is the one that will leave the nest for hours, and the white one will go back and forth between the nests when the grey one is out for an hour or two. The grey one will peck at me when I stick my hand near her the white one will not. But the white one will only leave the nest to get food and water which is in the coop. I haven’t seen her come out of the actual coop since she’s started laying.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

The grey one is the one that will leave the nest for hours, and the white one will go back and forth between the nests when the grey one is out for an hour or two. The grey one will peck at me when I stick my hand near her the white one will not. But the white one will only leave the nest to get food and water which is in the coop. I haven’t seen her come out of the actual coop since she’s started laying.

Some hens are just better at being broody mamas than others. I've had hens do this half broody thing many times. Sometimes they settle in and start sitting consistently and other times they stop sitting. I don't give mine eggs until I know they're committed to sitting.

The other hen trying to sit on all of the eggs probably has more to do with her trying to treat them like a single co-brooded clutch rather than two clutches. If I were you I would candle the eggs. Remove the duds and give all of the viable eggs to her.