What do I do with my stupid broody?

[CarriBrown]

I have a black silkie named Elvira... and let's just say she's not the sharpest tool in the shed. She's been sitting on eggs (make that EGG, since I gave the rest to Tina, who managed to hatch them this past weekend). Elvira has been trying to sit for months and I finally let her.
Well, this just proves how dumb she really is. Her egg has gone cold several time, she doesn't turn it, and just seems pretty clueless. The egg she has isn't going to hatch. Plain and simple. It was "due" this past Friday.
How do I deal with this? Do I wait for her to give up or ???

 

[DementedHam]

I would let her give up, its the only way she'll learn so she can get better. If you are still not confident with her next time she goes broody, give her a store bought egg and if you think she did a good job put a chick under her after 3 weeks.

 

[CarriBrown]

Last time she went broody, I tried grafting some day olds on her. Well, she flipped out and stepped on one of the chicks.

We aren't dealing with a full deck of cards, here. :|

 

[birdlover]

LOLOL!

I had one of those kind of silkies, too! Couldn't believe it because they're supposed to make such great broodies. She'd sit with the egg beside her!! Or she'd leave it and go sit on another nest. I tried several times giving her just two eggs but she just couldn't handle it. She did, however, take some day olds and did fine with them. I think silkies are sooo pretty but they go broody just too too much (if you don't want broodies)! Good luck with your dingbat.

Ellen

 

[Judymae]

Poor thing. Atleast she's trying! My momma duck sat on chicken eggs last year and nothing happened. This spring she sat on her own eggs and they HATCHED!! Surprise! Surprise! She is the best momma. Won't let me touch the little babies though!

 

[CarriBrown]

Well, I just booted stupid Elvira out of the brooder and back in the coop. Maybe she'll forget this whole thing ever happened.... It's quite possible... This IS the same hen that has been incubating golf balls...

 

[Judymae]

That is too funny. Incubating golf balls!!

 

[panner123]

keep putting eggs under her. once she gets one to hatch, she will be our best broody hen. have one like that. she will hatch any fertial egg placed under her.

 

[3homeschoolmom]

Hi! We had a hen go broody awhile ago, and my ds put a plastic Easter egg in the nest for her. One day I walked in the barn and noticed she wasn't in the nest. I looked in, and the egg had cracked open. She had "hatched" her egg and her broody spell was over!

We have a very broody one now. Maybe I should try the Easter egg on her!

 

[CarriBrown]

So you have a hen that's a few beans short of a burrito, too!
Well, Elvira was dumb enough to forget that whole broody business. Good thing, too, because I was sick of her growling at me!! Earn your keep and start laying eggs again already!!!