Why wont my Silkie go broody?

[Kessel23]

I have a year old silkie hen, she has been laying eggs for about a month. I let her collect 12 eggs in the nest box and she did not go broody. I took the eggs out and ate them. I then let her start collecting eggs again, she usually lays an egg every other day, she laid the 6th egg and then the next day she was sitting on the eggs on her day off. I assumed that because she was sitting on the nest on a day that she usually would not lay that she was going broody, my assumption was wrong and she laid an egg. The next day she was sitting on the nest again, I thought that for sure she was going broody this time because there was no way she was going to lay 3 days in a row! I was wrong/right, she did not lay another egg but after about 3 hours she got up and ate some food, again I thought she was going broody and just grabbing a snack but of course not, she did not go back to the nest for hours. I came back like 5 hours later to find her sitting next to the nest, watching the eggs, WHY?!? I picked her up and put her on the nest, she sat there for a good hour or 2 and then got back up and ate a little bit then flew up to her roost and went to bed

The next day she showed no interest in the eggs, she then proceeded to take a 4 day break from laying. I took the eggs out and ate them. I brought her out to the main coop and got my nice EE rooster to mount her, they connected and she was now laying fertile eggs, she was not before. This time I collected the eggs and I planned to incubate them. I have 2 collected, she laid another today, I put the 2 eggs in the nest with the 1 new one because I was moving stuff around in my room. I left for a bit and came back to see her sitting on the 3 eggs, it is night right now and she would usually be roosting. I now look over and see her off the nest getting ready to roost, after she just sat on the eggs for a good 50 minutes I went over and put her by the nest, she stuck her head in and tried to pull the eggs out of the nest. I helped her and pulled them out and put them in front of her, she quickly tucked them under herself and then sat on them for like 2 minute, got up and walked out to the roost! I put the eggs under the roost and she now keeps tucking them under herself but then she sees the roost and walks up to go jump on to it. She then looks back and sees the eggs and walks over to tuck them under herself. She then does the exact same thing again and again and again!

This hen has been a struggle for me to keep and understand, it took me 11 months to find out her gender and I had to use BYC for help So why is she not going broody? Any tips to make her set some eggs?

 

[HuskerHens18]

I have a curse, if I buy known broody breeds, they never go broody. I lucked out and my Sizzle hatched 3 eggs while keeping it a secret somehow.
You could try slipping golf balls or ceramic eggs under her, and just keep putting her on them and maybe instincts will kick in eventually, then you won't waste any eggs but I've honestly never had success trying to make a chicken go broody. I wish you good luck!

 

[AlleysChicks]

I had 5 broody at once. It was awful. Total chaos! One started and the next day I had 3. Then all but 1 is broody.

Collect the eggs like normal but keep them. Put some fake eggs or golf balls in the nest.

 

[Kessel23]

Alright, I will gather up her eggs and then put fake eggs in the nest, then if she goes broody I put the real ones back in, right?

 

[HuskerHens18]

Alright, I will gather up her eggs and then put fake eggs in the nest, then if she goes broody I put the real ones back in, right?

Yes, just date them and keep collecting every day until she finally gives in. I've heard the limit on fertile eggs is 10 days before they should be discarded.

 

[AlleysChicks]

Alright, I will gather up her eggs and then put fake eggs in the nest, then if she goes broody I put the real ones back in, right?

Yep. You can even put them in the fridge for a couple weeks and they will still hatch.

 

[BoyTheRooster]

If she has only recently started laying and is only a year old, she might just be too young to go broody. Give her some time, you can't make a hen go broody. That's not really how it works

 

[chickens really]

Chickens will go Broody without eggs in the nest..If truly Broody she will start setting on other Hens eggs or no eggs. I leave my Broody Hens and collect my fertile eggs then set her up in a Brooder pen to set..You can't make a Hen Broody...

 

[bobbi-j]

Leaving eggs in the nest will not make her go broody. Just keep collecting your eggs and wait. Just because Silkies are prone to go broody, it doesn't mean they will. Not every chicken does. Leaving fake eggs or golf balls in the nest may give her an idea that that's a good place to lay, and maybe even to go broody if she does, but won't make it happen.

Once you notice her spending more time in the nest, don't give her eggs right away. Make sure she is in that nest all day and night for about 3 days. If you need to move her, that would be the time to do it. Move her at night, give her fake eggs, and if she stays on them the next day or two, then give her real eggs. Make sure she can get to food and water, get up and stretch her legs and poop when she needs to. They will usually leave the nest once a day for 20-30 minutes or so to take care of those things. If she is allowed to set in the coop where other chickens have access to her nest, be sure to mark the eggs you want hatched and remove the rest every day.