Stopping broody silkie hen

[Bryce Thomas]

Just so it is known: I dont care about them laying eggs. I love them as a pet, and never intend to slaughter them for their meat like those sick Asian street markets.

I need to stop my black silkie shadow from broodiness so she wont starve on the nest. I hear putting an icepack wrapped with a thin paper towel so it wont freeze the chicken but putting it under the hen, putting a really cold water bottle under the hen or having a fan low to the ground of the nest blowing cool air will stop her from being broody.

I have heard that simply annoying the hell out of a broody hen will stop her, I have picked her up and took her to the food and water on the other side of the pen, she eats and drinks then always gets back on. She is very friendly and never pecks at me no matter how annoyed she is. Any help to stop her and her love of chicks?

 

[EmmaRainboe]

I choose the broody cage method. Put her in a cage in the coop lifted up on some bricks or something, and leave her there with food and water until she is no longer broody. Another thing that works for me is blocking off all the nest boxes, only then you also block off the boxes for all the other girls too.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Stopping broodiness can be very difficult in a Silkie. My best method is to put fertile eggs under them and let them hatch chicks. But not everyone can do that.

Putting her in a wire cage with food water, that has good air flow under MAY help. But Silkies can be very stubborn if they have the genetics to brood...it literally is in their blood.

LofMc

 

[Bryce Thomas]

Stopping broodiness can be very difficult in a Silkie. My best method is to put fertile eggs under them and let them hatch chicks. But not everyone can do that.

Putting her in a wire cage with food water, that has good air flow under MAY help. But Silkies can be very stubborn if they have the genetics to brood...it literally is in their blood.

LofMc

My parents have yelled at me for the idea of hatching more silkies, I already have 4. They all say "We need to survive summer" I dont think they realise that thses silkies are MINE silkies and they have no power or control. I tried putting a 6 week old silkie chick I hatched with an incubator under her and she refused taking care of the chick so idk

 

[Lemon-Drop]

I’ve dealt with a broody silkie... my silkies still broody, actually. I have tried the broody cage method, but didn’t like putting my birds in it... I know it’s not really, but it felt cruel. Otherwise I have tried the water bottles (I just freeze them) and for most of the other hens it works great! But on the silkie it never worked to well... usually I just wait it out. Now I’ve been taking her out a lot of times a day, and putting her on the roost at night. Here’s a picture of miss Mochi when she’s broody. (She was sitting on a rock )

 

[Lady of McCamley]

My parents have yelled at me for the idea of hatching more silkies, I already have 4. They all say "We need to survive summer" I dont think they realise that thses silkies are MINE silkies and they have no power or control. I tried putting a 6 week old silkie chick I hatched with an incubator under her and she refused taking care of the chick so idk

A hen won't brood a 6 week old chick (if you meant that) as that is the age they generally fledge them. A 6 day old chick might not graft as well either. Usually you need day old chicks especially for first time moms.

If you can't get fertile eggs, then you can try to foster feed store chicks, though it is with risk. Feed store chicks have not been hatched in normal broody conditions, so often will fear the hen and not obey her causing stress and chick loss.

But if you can get 2 day old chicks, and your hen has been sitting for about 2 weeks minimum, she may be very happy to switch to chick mode. Though, some Silkies need the actual hatching from eggs to trigger mothering mode.

LofMc

 

[aart]

My parents have yelled at me for the idea of hatching more silkies, I already have 4. They all say "We need to survive summer" I dont think they realise that thses silkies are MINE silkies and they have no power or control.

If you're a minor(or not) living with your parents and they are paying all the bills, then they do have power and control.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

My parents have yelled at me for the idea of hatching more silkies, I already have 4. They all say "We need to survive summer" I dont think they realise that thses silkies are MINE silkies and they have no power or control. I tried putting a 6 week old silkie chick I hatched with an incubator under her and she refused taking care of the chick so idk

Doesn't matter if you "own" these birds. You are living with your parents in their house. Their home, their rules. They have the power and control in the end