suebee Posted January 23, 2010 Share Posted January 23, 2010 Hi everyone. Just how broody do Silkies get? Assuming that you don't wish to hatch eggs, is it an occasional thing, or a real regular pain? I'm trying to weigh up which additions I'd like to make to my flock, and Silkies appeal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom123 Posted January 23, 2010 Share Posted January 23, 2010 Depends on the hen, some are broody every 3 weeks, some are broody once a year. Apparently the white silkies are least known for going broody? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gem_Seb Posted January 23, 2010 Share Posted January 23, 2010 my white silkie will be a year old in April and she hasnt been broody at all yet and has been laying every other day all through the winter!! my 2 sussex have been broody once each so far! one snapped out of it in a few days and the other took 2 weeks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffin Posted January 23, 2010 Share Posted January 23, 2010 Apparently the white silkies are least known for going broody? Really? "Ooops, word censored!"ody told Tiger Lily She's as regular as clockwork, lays 10 eggs then goes broody. She's just started laying after her winter break, three eggs so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meezers Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 Depends on the hen, some are broody every 3 weeks, some are broody once a year. Apparently the white silkies are least known for going broody? My white silkie has just gone broody for the 3rd time since october , she's doing the 3 weeks laying , 3 weeks broody to the day I don't mind though as she was the only one of my 9 who laid at all in december. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 I have a gold silkie (Susan) and she is only about 9 months old and has already been broody twice, the first time for a few days and then she snapped out of it, the second time for 6 weeks She laid her first egg on 28th October, laid 10 eggs, and went broody, she then laid another 11 eggs and then had her big broody incident! She has then laid us 1 more egg on 12th Jan and now has decided to moult So, we have had the not so grand total of 22 eggs in 3 months In saying that she is such a character and really makes us laugh. We both adore her, and Phil is often seen giving her cuddles despite the fact he didn't want a Silkie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falkor Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 I currently have two silkies. Tia, my partridge who is about 9 months is always broody it seems.....she is currenlty doing the angry pancake We have had some eggs since she arrived but not many. She is very determined too, despite a week in the broody cage Her BFF Maria is a blue silkie and has only been broody once since she arrived. I broke her of her broodiness but turfing her out of the eglu every hour or so. I get about three eggs a week from her although she shouts about it ALOT!!! Not sure what I prefer....the growling silkie camped out in the little ark or the schreeching silkie that announces her own eggs and everybody elses Pip, my little white silkie who we lost just before xmas was never broody whilst she was with us. I wouldn't be without my silkies though. I love 'em. They are very comical and are great snugglers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coco Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 My silkie cross Coco was broody for four weeks before Christmas but is now laying every other day. My other Silkie cross Pipa went broody just after Coco had stopped and is still broody, I think it must be nearly two months now and she is so noisy with it when I turf her out of the nesting box. I've given up on her now and will just leave her to it. She has to stop sometime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suebee Posted January 24, 2010 Author Share Posted January 24, 2010 Hi folks. More food for thought, it seems. I'm not too bothered about being eggless for a spell. I think it's the battle of wills that I would struggle with! Thanks so much for your responses everyone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evanowen Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 Our white silkies get broody because they are such fantastic mothers, silkies are the best incubators of the of the lot I would say, we had two hens who hatched 10 out of 12 eggs (their own), we also had one silkie who shared the burden with two frizzles who also make good mothers Chickens deserve respect, they are intelligent, sensitive, resourceful, loyal and useful. We have too many cockerels though, however the buzzards won't take them on and neither will the hen harrier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madchickenlady Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 I've only had my silkies since august, and they have both had a broody spell. However, they both snapped out of it on their own, unlike my pekins who really do dig in for the long haul Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doodledootoo Posted January 24, 2010 Share Posted January 24, 2010 My blue Silkie (called Silver) is broody every 5 minutes. My gold Silkie (she's called Star) has only gone broody once in the 9 months we've had her. The way I see it - it's just what they do, so rather than have a battle of wills with them, just let them get on with it. I don't think you keep Silkies for their egg production really. You keep them because they're cute and gorgeous and fun. They're an 'indulgence hen'! When they do lay, the eggs are not very big, however, they do have a decent sized yolk in them (my favourite part of an egg!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meezers Posted January 25, 2010 Share Posted January 25, 2010 Hi folks. More food for thought, it seems. I'm not too bothered about being eggless for a spell. I think it's the battle of wills that I would struggle with! Thanks so much for your responses everyone I haven't the energy for a battle of wills and I couldn't be bothered with broody cages every few weeks. I have 2 coops in 2 connected runs. For some reason , my little silkie doesn't venture into the coop in group 1s run, so I leave that open for the other chooks to lay in, when she goes broody I simply shut up coop 2 ( her coop) and leave her miffed and 'flumping' on the run floor. She soon gets up and acts like a normal chicken for the day , until I open her coop at bedtime, then she runs up the ladder and hurls herself into the nest box- you can just hear her saying to her imaginary eggs ' it's ok babies, I'm back' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted January 25, 2010 Share Posted January 25, 2010 [ I have 2 coops in 2 connected runs. For some reason , my little silkie doesn't venture into the coop in group 1s run, so I leave that open for the other chooks to lay in, when she goes broody I simply shut up coop 2 ( her coop) and leave her miffed and 'flumping' on the run floor. She soon gets up and acts like a normal chicken for the day , until I open her coop at bedtime, then she runs up the ladder and hurls herself into the nest box- you can just hear her saying to her imaginary eggs ' it's ok babies, I'm back' This sounds so familiar its hilarious! What my lot don't know is I am getting hatching eggs once the weather improves, so one lucky broody winner WILL have a chance to be a Mum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suebee Posted January 25, 2010 Author Share Posted January 25, 2010 Mmm. Perhaps Silkies aren't for me. Call me soft, but I suppose I'm too sensitive to what the hens want, rather than what I want. I must admit, when one of mine is laying in the nest box, I always give her space, and wouln't go near while she's in there (sometimes a pain when I want to muck out before I go to work ), so I somehow can't imagine me lifting the lid up and evicting a broody from her nest, real or imaginary eggs, much less putting her in a cage so she can't snuggle and nestle. I'm such a wimp! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted January 25, 2010 Share Posted January 25, 2010 Mmm. Perhaps Silkies aren't for me. Call me soft, but I suppose I'm too sensitive to what the hens want, rather than what I want. I must admit, when one of mine is laying in the nest box, I always give her space, and wouln't go near while she's in there (sometimes a pain when I want to muck out before I go to work ), so I somehow can't imagine me lifting the lid up and evicting a broody from her nest, real or imaginary eggs, much less putting her in a cage so she can't snuggle and nestle. I'm such a wimp! Trust me, once you have had the evil pancake routine from them, and their behaviour is starting to irritate the other girls who are laying, so soon find the strength to evict them. Big nesting box, this is Davina, you are live in my garden, please do not swear. Madam broody, you have been evicted, please leave the nesting box Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suebee Posted January 25, 2010 Author Share Posted January 25, 2010 Fab! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evanowen Posted January 25, 2010 Share Posted January 25, 2010 I'll be calling the RSPCSA... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meezers Posted January 26, 2010 Share Posted January 26, 2010 [quote name="Space Chick Trust me' date=' once you have had the evil pancake routine from them, and their behaviour is starting to irritate the other girls who are laying, so soon find the strength to evict them. Big nesting box, this is Davina, you are live in my garden, please do not swear. Madam broody, you have been evicted, please leave the nesting box It was my Bluebelle who evicted Muppet this morning. So funny, I opened the nestbox in preparation to turf Muppet out, only to find Bluebelle in the nestbox ,stood over her just laid egg and Muppet doing the 'angry pancake' in the doorway. Bluebelle had obviously turfed her out so she could lay ( or maybe she nipped in quick while Muppet was out for a loo break ) and poor Muppet was left to mutter about it, she was eyeing up Bluebelles' egg when I looked, but didn't dare to try and sit on it while Bluebelle was still there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
