Is your dog's unusual barking a secret code for something mysterious?

[catherinedon]

I am a new chicken owner since Aug and have learned loads from here thank you. My next topic to learn more about it broodiness. My Silkie Dollyhas been laying since Nov happily but yest I noticed she spend most of the day in the nesting box . She was deffinatly ther at 2pm and still there when I closed the cube door at 4 when they had all taken them selves to bed. I was worried she would be hungry but didnt put any food in as was worried they would fight. This morn when I opened the door she came out with the others and I collected an egg ( not sure if it was dollys but think it was more likely tess light sussex) took children to swimming lessons at at 2pm checked and Dolly is sitting in the nesting box I couldnt find an egg under her? However on further inspection by dd age 9 Dolly was infact sitting on Nellys egg (araucane). dd took Dooly out and closed the door of the cube. I wasnt sure this was king so we went back out and poor Dolly was at the top of the cube ladder just staring at the closed door so I opened it. Im presuming Dolly is broody?? Now what is kind? Do I try to stop her which seems just wrong or do I leave her but im worried she will starve. Thanks. Dh thinks i am reading too much into the emotions of a chicken ) Poor Dolly wants to have a baby

[catherinedon]

well just wanted to add that the earlier egg was tess as Dolly has just layed and was happily sitting on her eggs so I toook her out of the nest box so she would eat . I felt really bad taking the egg from under her buT i think she would just have sat on it until bed time. So Dolly started wanting to sit in the nest box for longer (and on other girls egg ) yest and today but also layed yest and today. I thought if they were broody they stopped laying??

[Mollie333]

They will lay eggs until they get a full clutch, and then sit and hope they hatch, She wont start to incubate the eggs until the whole clutch is laid, though. Wouldn't let her hatch in this weather, normally allow to hatch in spring. It would be kind to stop her broodiness if you have no intention to let her have chicks. (and of course- you'd need fertile eggs or a cockerel!)

 

There are a lot of ways to break broodiness, **More on broodiness here**.Silkies can be determined broodies so might not work locking her out as she will just sit on the nest at night and morning before you let them out.

 

Broody hens can starve to death if ignored, so make sure she has food and water.

[coco]

Silkies can be very persistant broodys. One of my silkie crosses was broody for three months despite attempts made to stop her. If allowed to sit they loose condition which at this time off year isn't good. I would try and stopher as the longer they are broody the harder they are to stop. Good luck.

[mollyripkim]

One of my young silkies went broody in December, I was so worried that I spoke to her breeder and researched on here. She wasn't happy at me taking her off the nest but I took her out every couple of hours and she ate and drank before retreating to her nest. Then we had a spell of milder weather so I put her out to FR with the others, I noticed she kept herself separate from the other four but I kept the Go door shut. Gradually she stayed out for longer and in fact I had five eggs yesterday so she must be laying again. They make a very distinctive noise when you move them from the nest and I caught her with three eggs from the others all snuggled up underneath one day. I am new this year as well so was really worried but at least having experienced it I will know not to panic next time!

[catherinedon]

Mollie 333 no cockeral and no fertilized eggs. No intension of letting her hatch was just wondering what to do. So if she will keep laying unti she has a full clutch then I jut have to remove the eggs right. I do this a couple of times a day anyway. Im worried now as weather getting colder

[Mollie333]

There are a lot of ways to break broodiness. **Click**.

[figarogir1]

The broody cage (dog crate) for 3 whole nights and days is the only thing that stops my broody it seems cruel when they are alone in a big cage but it is better than them starving and dehydrating. Good luck

[catherinedon]

well today did the flying lesson thing a few times. constantly removed her from nest box ( found her sitting on Nellys egg again) put her free range in garden but just paced over and back to get back into run with others I even gave her a little spray with the cold garden hose when I was cleaning out the run. She still feels so hot under neath and hasnt layed today. That broody box thing sound so cruel and wouldnt she get really cold at night. Im not too worried about the lack of eggs can I not just leave her alone. Obviously I will make sure she eats. wasnt interested in food or water today so as a last result I gave her some corn (not ideal I know) and she ate a little. I closed the cube door when the other 3 layers had layed and later I found her nesting in the dirt bath

[catherinedon]

no egg from silkie 2 days in a row and oh no my light sussex seemed to spent too much time in the nesting box today but hasnt layed. surely broodiness isnt catching is it

[Space Chick]

I have hens that encourage other hens to be broody although come spring I am hoping to use this to my advantage

 

The thing about broodiness, is if they have fertile eggs, they will sit until they hatch and will then bring up chicks. As your eggs will never hatch, despite how persistent she is she can remain broody for several weeks, even months, which can be very damaging to the hen.

 

My recommendation would be the use of a broody cage. The first time I used one I was upset, but now it's second nature I'd rather that and healthy hens in the long term. As for being too cold at night, the nights are still rather cold, so if you have a shed or a garage you can pop the broody cage into overnight that would be sensible to keep her a little warmer, although not in the house, as you are trying to cool her down

[Chortle Chook]

I've only had one Silkie go broody so far (I got my girls around August last year too) and I'll probably change my mind when Srping comes and all my Silkies go broodie and want to sit for ages and ages, but at the moment I don't think I'd want to 'punish' one of my girlies for doing what comes naturally. With my one broody one, Doodle, I just made sure that I collected all the eggs so she had nothing to sit on and that she went out for a little while in the morning and evening to get food and water. I confess that I also put a little pot of food right near her, within easy reach but not in the nest itself. Luckily her broodiness did not last long.

[catherinedon]

thanks for all the wonderful advice Im naturally inclined towards cheeky chooks way of thinking but willing to change if it doesnt work. Im making sure i collect all eggs and making sure she eats every day but im not sure she is drinking

[mostin]

I have cockerels running with my girls, so in the spring and the summer, I use my broodies to do as nature intended and raise baby chicks .

 

In the autumn and winter though, some of them still go broody . A couple of them are so stubborn that they would not stop sitting even when their health was beginning to suffer.

 

I have invented a swinging broody cage, that hangs in the fresh air . It has never taken more than 3 days and nights to break even my most stubborn of broodies, and they have food and water available.

 

They won't stay broody when they feel it's too exposed to sit on a clutch .

 

 

 

 

Babs, a silkie sussex cross, a fantastic mum, but a very determined broody, even in the winter .

[Sam]

**stupid question @mostin**

 

Does your broodie just stay in that cage for 3 days or do you let it roam about in the day? Or is it just to separate it from the other girls?! I like your hanging chicken invention though

[mostin]

**stupid question @mostin**

 

Does your broodie just stay in that cage for 3 days or do you let it roam about in the day? Or is it just to separate it from the other girls?! I like your hanging chicken invention though

 

No such thing as a stupid question on Omlet .

 

Yes, the broody lady stays in the cat box all the time for 3 whole days and nights. It seemed a bit harsh at first, but after wasting weeks and weeks trying to break broodies via other methods, I don't even give it a second thought now .

[Sam]

 

Awww that does seem a little harsh, but I suppose it's the only way to do it!! Thanks Mostin, I've been picking up so many tips from the website, I don't know what I'd do without it now!!

[catherinedon]

just phoned hatchery and they said just keep tossing her out of the nest box and taking eggs regularly which I have been doing. They said extremly unlikely to starve. I have been making sure she is eating but she wont drink when im looking so I have been dipping her beak in water. Worryingly they said that my chickens are very at risk of getting red mite as when broody they are so warm so I need to get redmite powder. Will do when I go to get food Fri. God this is a fast learning curve only got them in aug and Nov and already have had antibiotics for mycro and are no broody

[Chortle Chook]

I found that my little broodie Silkie had a good long drink when I turfed her out first thing in the morning. However, if you are really worried how about her not having access to water, how about putting one of those non spill water dishes in that you can get for dogs to use in the car. They are brilliantly adapted not to spill even when tipped up providing you don't over fill them. Some are quite big but I have seen little ones and they can be got from most pet shops.

 

As for the red mite - fear of this has been my real bug bear Those with Eglus won't get it, but those, like me, with wooden houses are, as the literature says, very vulnerable to it. Apparently last summer was a major one for the little beasties but touch wood I seem to be keeping them away by ensuring plenty of air circulation and light gets in and by doing some good housekeeping. I make sure that the full door to the nest area is left open to air and sun for several hours each day, then I give the whole area a thorough clean each week. During this clean up I remove and wash the perches and the slatted floor. Seems to be working