Groovychook Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 My Silkie girls are almost permanently broody... Mrs. Bishop started showing signs yesterday, so I put her in the cage for the afternoon. The temperature was due to drop to -3 overnight and I worried about leaving her alone, so popped her in with the others at before I went to bed until daybreak. She's been back in the cage all day and I would normally leave her in there for the full three days, but I'm worried about her getting too cold. We are forecast for it to go as low as 2 degrees overnight, so milder than of late... I'm just pondering whether to leave her caged or pop her in the cube again- the forecasts are so unreliable here! What would you do?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mum Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 What would I do? First, I'd be thinking, a hen's idea of "cold" differs very much from us humans. Why? Because a) they have the luxury of a feather duvet nature provided against such weather extremes and b) they have a higher body temp then we do and c) the whole point of seperating a broody into a cage of solitary confinement is to bring down their body temperature to break them from being broody! Bottom line is: I would leave her caged up - on the proviso she is in a draft free environment. Air ventilation is great - but, there is a difference between "AIRFLOW" AND DRAFT!. (SOZ keyboard gone waffy and finding it hard to GET RID OF CAPS!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groovychook Posted February 12, 2012 Author Share Posted February 12, 2012 Thank you Mum, I was just having a guilt wobble because of the icy weather!! The draughtiness should be okay as the walk in run is covered on most sides with tarps- apart from the doors that is. I knew I wouldn't be helping matters if I put her in the cube for the night- just needed a bit of reassurance!! Three days and nights in the slammer normally does the trick... When I got my Silkie girls, I was expecting a fair amount of broodiness, but I thought they'd have a rest in the winter months!! I love them to bits though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie1007 Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 My silkie has been laying since xmas and she went broody for one day only! It must have been too chilly sitting still She's a monkey for going broody though and snarls at me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmastar Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 I have 2 frizles broody at the moment they are always broody I felt bad trying to snap them both out of it as they are oven ready underneath so are now both sat on the eggs from the bator My silkies are not to bad only mop has gone broody so far . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groovychook Posted February 12, 2012 Author Share Posted February 12, 2012 She's a monkey for going broody though and snarls at me That made me giggle- there's nothing quite like a furious Silkie! Mrs. Bishop screams like a banshee!! I have 2 frizles broody at the moment they are always broody I felt bad trying to snap them both out of it as they are oven ready underneath so are now both sat on the eggs from the bator My silkies are not to bad only mop has gone broody so far . I feel so mean whenever I put them in the cage- they seem to spend an average of two weeks laying, followed by a broody spell. Thankfully, they seem to take it in turns... I hope I'm not tempting fate there... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmastar Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 Jelly and bean always do things together even go broody ,Both are in one coop together at the moment sat on eggs (due to hatch this week ) and i need to seperate them tomorow but they go mad so i may try to concuct a delider for the one coop . They look like one broody hen if you look in as they are squashed together so tight ( they do have room to be in there own box but moved to the same one ) Its funny to watch them steel the eggs if the other goes out for relief but by later in the day they have half each under them both Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groovychook Posted February 12, 2012 Author Share Posted February 12, 2012 Jelly and bean always do things together even go broody ,Both are in one coop together at the moment sat on eggs (due to hatch this week ) and i need to seperate them tomorow but they go mad so i may try to concuct a delider for the one coop .They look like one broody hen if you look in as they are squashed together so tight ( they do have room to be in there own box but moved to the same one ) Its funny to watch them steel the eggs if the other goes out for relief but by later in the day they have half each under them both Awww, bless them, best of luck with the division- I expect the air will be blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmastar Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 Thank you im not to looking forwrd to it im going to use some sort of mesh so they can still sit next to each other just not rob the chicks from each other i dont think it would pan out to well 2 mems with one lot of chicks . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie1007 Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 She's a monkey for going broody though and snarls at me That made me giggle- there's nothing quite like a furious Silkie! Mrs. Bishop screams like a banshee!! She also tries to make herself look really hard by puffing up - she's such a diva Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groovychook Posted February 12, 2012 Author Share Posted February 12, 2012 She also tries to make herself look really hard by puffing up - she's such a diva My Rita does that too- looks like a fluffy golden football... She whizzes around at top speed, head down, bum in the air, crashing into the other chooks because she can't see where she's going! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmastar Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 Bean pufing up . Shes in big and scary moad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groovychook Posted February 12, 2012 Author Share Posted February 12, 2012 OMG! That is one spherical chicken!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmastar Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 OMG! That is one spherical chicken!! [/quote She is a tiny japanese x frizzle i went to take some pics and my son said beans in the nest box again openend up the eggport and she was growling at me then flufed up like that i NEEDED to get a pic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Groovychook Posted February 15, 2012 Author Share Posted February 15, 2012 Well, Mrs Bishop had completed her sentence in the slammer yesterday. She went to bed with the others last night, and when I checked later on, she was on the roosting bars and not in the nesting box. However... I've just been out and found her squashed flat on one of the other girls eggs. I have lifted her out twice and put her outside to cool down, but both times, she has sloped off back to the nestbox- she's very determined. She is quite daft though- the second time she tried it, she went via the broody cage, hopped in, had a poke about, thought better of it, shot out, and went straight up the ladder. She's now back in the broody cage. How long should I leave her in this time- another three days and nights? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
