silkie quit laying

[coopdeville08]

We have a silkie hen who was laying an egg every day or so and about 6 weeks ago she layed her last one. She is about 10 months old. She has gotten real broody but will not lay an egg herself. What do we do? Thanks.

 

[Picky Chicky]

No real advice, but I can relate...

My Japanese banty girl went real broody on me and stopped laying - and so did her little partner in crime. It's been forever since I've consistently gotten an egg from my non-broody Jap. banty. Finally I put 6 fertilized eggs under her - at least that way she can be productive. I'm hoping if she successfully hatches the eggs, then maybe she'll get over her broodiness for awhile.

Good luck!

 

[Year of the Rooster]

Broodies do not lay eggs, if you did not already know that.

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

Wait....

 

[coopdeville08]

So if she is broody how do I get her to change her ways?

 

[Poulets De Cajun]

Put her on a wire bottom cage to get air under her, give her a few eggs to hatch, or lock her out of the nesting area.

 

[Picky Chicky]

Before I let my girl sit, every day I'd pet her until she'd get mad at me and hop off the nest. I'd keep taking the eggs out from under her. I started feeling kind of bad because she'd still sit, but after about a month of doing this, she finally got over it and started laying again... then about a half a month of that she went all broody again. Good grief.

 

[Year of the Rooster]

Quote:
Either let her hatch some babies or you can put her in a wire cage with nothing but food and water. Make sure the cage is all wire, floors and all.

From what I have read Silkies are hard to break. That may depend on the individual though and how determined she is.

 

[coopdeville08]

Thanks everyone I think Ill just leave her alone and my DH can go without her bite sized eggs he loved so much.

 

[chickenlisa]

I just found this thread...funny too. I've got my small group of 5 Silkies/1 SG/1 Frizzled Cochin in a triple cage for ferrets. The Cochin went big time broody, so she's along in the bottom and its closed off from the others coming down the ramp to join her or lay more eggs. Now I've got 2 Silkie girls and the SG girl all trying to go broody in the middle section. I' keep reaching in the move them and take eggs, so they're not hard time setting yet. They get up pretty agreeably and run up the ramp to the top section where I just put more food and water. I hope they don't insist on going broody. If they do, I'll have to rearrange birds and pens. The top part is way to small for the rest of them to stay in if I close off the middle section. They are on a wire floor with wire walls, but I've got the floor covered with hay and change it out with new hay when that one gets wet or gross. I guess I'll give the next broody some nice eggs to hatch if she's insistent.
Lisa