Chortle Chook Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I know that Silkies are famous for going broody and so far I haven't worried too much when one of my chooks takes to her bed. I've just made sure I remove any eggs and pick the girlie in question off her nest in the morning to make sure she has some food and water, and again in the evening at corn time. However Dolly has been sitting on her nest for 2 weeks now. Is there something wrong? I cleaned them all out at the weekend, totally renewed any bedding, and attempted to just shut her out for the day (all egg laying by the others had been done) but she just paced back and forth by the opening and my OH said I was being cruel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madchickenlady Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I had a pekin that I couldn't break from a brood for 9 weeks I tried everything, and in the end the only thing that stopped her was going in to moult It's not cruel to shut her out of the nest box, btw, and if you want to break her of it, a wire bottom cage works well. Two days in the 'sin bin' usually snaps them out of it (unless they're Celia, who would then just run straight back to the nest ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coco Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 I had a silkie cross who was broody for three months, she did eventually snap out of it. The longer they are broody the harder they are to break. I have now bought a small dog cage so if anyone shows signs of going broody they are definately going in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollyripkim Posted February 22, 2011 Share Posted February 22, 2011 On of my silkies was broody for three weeks before Christmas and was very determined. Evenually stopped but has started again. I shut the house door too today as even if I removed her from the nest she ran straight back in but she wasnt happy and wouldn't free range with the others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted February 23, 2011 Author Share Posted February 23, 2011 Thanks for giving me your support. Tomorrow I'm gonna leave the door to the nest box shut after I have put Dolly out to get her breakfast. She's not to stay broody No I'm gonna be determined It's not that I care dreadfully about a lack of eggs, but it just doesn't seem healthy. Like someone sitting watching too much telly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorax Posted February 25, 2011 Share Posted February 25, 2011 Our speckedly went broody for about three weeks, just as the weather turned into really cold winter (so last November or something like that), we ended up having to shut her out. She was really aggressive during this time too and I was too scared to take her out of the nesting box, dp had to do it with super thick gloves on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janty Posted February 26, 2011 Share Posted February 26, 2011 I put mine in a wire dog crate when they are broody. Gallena, my silver partridge pekin is in there at the moment. It soon persuades them out of it. I managed to buy a really good, solid dog crate at a charity shop on Thursday for £10 so that's become the 'Henionism' WIR sin bin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
