Silkie wants to be broody but...

[jdopler]

she is SO not good at it. I know she's young about 8 mos but sheesh! She has gone broody twice on me, first time only sat for 2 weeks and didn't keep the eggs under her, she just sat. I kept putting them back under her but finally just gave up.
Is this just young pullet behavior, will she improve on her setting techniques?

 

[stormylady]

Quote:
I hope someone else comes and answers you better than me but my experience with it is that my girls seemed to "Practice" being broody when they were younger they are all doing much better now that they are 2 and 3 years old. Again I don't know if this is the norm, but just the way my girls have done it. I will say that I have 4 1.5 year old silkies and there doing great and this is the first time around for them. IM shocked!

 

[jdopler]

well, I suppose I can let her keep practicing and hope she does better.. She seems very intent on it (even tho she has no eggs currently) maybe I'll give her someone elses eggs to set!

 

[gritsar]

My silkie messed it all up first time she tried (around 8 months old). She did better the second time (10 1/2 - 11 months old); she managed to hatch one chick. I bought her a couple extra chicks to add to her only child and she's done fine.

I have another silkie that will 1 year old on the 9th of June. Not a broody bone in her body.