Why won’t my silkie hen go broody?

[jameswells2019]

My silkie hen acts broody, she clucks all the time, sometimes when chickens come around here she puffs up, she has layed a clutch of eggs and sat on them like she was broody and acting protective but then the next day she was off of them, still with a broody behavior I’m so confused why is she doing this

 

[Lady of McCamley]

They will often go into a "pre-brood" for a number of days to even a week or so before they settle into a full brood. Generally they are collecting their clutch until they have enough eggs for a full brood.

It is actually a complicated hormonal process that triggers a full brood. First, you have hormones from the pituitary gland that are actually triggered by eggs pressing on the breastbone. With genetically wired hens, that triggers more brooding hormones to be released. The greater the clutch, the more hormone pressure.

Now that she is thinking of brooding, you need to look at environment. If she has a nest in a location that is too busy and exposed, and she is not at the top of the pecking order, she may feel unsettled and pushed off by the other birds. She needs quiet and dark to further activate the brooding mood.

Also, add a bit of calcium to her diet. Low calcium can prevent a good brood from setting in.

Try those things to see if that doesn't settle her into a really good brood. Once she settles solidly for a couple of days, change out the eggs to set all of them at the same time, then count to 21.

Good luck, and let us know how it is going.

LofMc

 

[Medinafam]

My silkie hen acts broody, she clucks all the time, sometimes when chickens come around here she puffs up, she has layed a clutch of eggs and sat on them like she was broody and acting protective but then the next day she was off of them, still with a broody behavior I’m so confused why is she doing this

Had the same issue... i left her a clutch of eggs and finally she got broody after a few weeks... took the old eggs out and put some fresh ones in... best wishes