Broody girls

[Nicnac]

Having always had rescue hybrids, I treated myself to two pure breds - a white silkie and a lavender millefleur. They are very pretty and had just started laying when the lavender went broody and now the silkie has joined her. It's been a good 3 weeks for the lavender and I am stumped as what to do.

Both have stopped laying and just sit on the hybrid's eggs. I remove the eggs around lunchtime and close the coop so they are forced out to eat and drink. I don't want chicks and am wondering how long this is going to go on for and if there's anything I can do? Someone said to rub an ice cube over their chests to cool it down but that doesn't sit right with me especially for the silkie who isn't waterproof!

Help! Any ideas from our experienced chook keepers?

 

[Arzada]

My first hens were Cochins. Knowing nothing I headed off to a local market and bought a pair (Beauty and Softy) and a solo hen who I felt sorry for (Hattie - short for hen with attitude). Softy laid one egg, the size of a thimble, and then retired from egg laying. Beauty laid eggs when she was either not broody or recovering from being broody so eggs were few. Hattie was simply a nightmare who terrorised Softy and Beauty when she wasn't taking being broody to new heights. She was rehomed into the dream job of any broody breed ie sitting on eggs (pheasant). Softy and Beauty made lovely pets so I just went with the flow of broodiness and continued to buy eggs

 

[Nicnac]

My first hens were Cochins. Knowing nothing I headed off to a local market and bought a pair (Beauty and Softy) and a solo hen who I felt sorry for (Hattie - short for hen with attitude). Softy laid one egg, the size of a thimble, and then retired from egg laying. Beauty laid eggs when she was either not broody or recovering from being broody so eggs were few. Hattie was simply a nightmare who terrorised Softy and Beauty when she wasn't taking being broody to new heights. She was rehomed into the dream job of any broody breed ie sitting on eggs (pheasant). Softy and Beauty made lovely pets so I just went with the flow of broodiness and continued to buy eggs

Ok thanks. But they don't eat or drink when sitting in the coop on the 'stolen' eggs so it can't be good for them. They do make sweet noises tho

 

[Equi]

There are a few ways, keeping them out of the coop is a must but you have to make sure they’re out for a few days or weeks. You can also crate them but set the crate on bricks so the air gets under.

 

[Fransurrey]

Sympathies. I have two silkies that I got last year as POL and they went broody almost straight away. They spent more time brooding than laying last year and are even worse, this year. They went broody in FEBRUARY (silkie #1) and March (#2) and have laid about 10 eggs between them this year. I knew silkies had a tendency to brood, but mine are taking the pee, big time. Luckily I have three rescues (leghorns and a random meat chicken) who all lay well.

 

[Nicnac]

Sympathies. I have two silkies that I got last year as POL and they went broody almost straight away. They spent more time brooding than laying last year and are even worse, this year. They went broody in FEBRUARY (silkie #1) and March (#2) and have laid about 10 eggs between them this year. I knew silkies had a tendency to brood, but mine are taking the pee, big time. Luckily I have three rescues (leghorns and a random meat chicken) who all lay well.

Sounds very similar to my situation. Rescue hybrids all the way imo. Not only do they arrive Fugly and transform into beautiful swans vs. arriving beautiful and then disappearing for months to lay on non-existent eggs; they are far less highly strung!

 

[silv]

To break the broody you need to put her in a crate on bricks so that air gets under her nether regions. Some breeds are worse than others, but it is nice having a variety, I have a mix of heritage and rescue commercial layers.

 

[Clodagh]

Late to this but your best bet is to not let them sit even for a night, check the nest box every night when you shut them up and immediately transfer anyone getting into the zone straight away. They will then ‘break’ in a few days.

 

[Nicnac]

Late to this but your best bet is to not let them sit even for a night, check the nest box every night when you shut them up and immediately transfer anyone getting into the zone straight away. They will then ‘break’ in a few days.

Thanks - they're both out of their broodiness thank goodness and back to normal but not yet laying again (the pure breds). One of the rescues had sour crop so put my vet hat on and she's absolutely fine now but not laying either. Not bothered so much by lack of eggs as long as they are all healthy and happy.

 

[Clodagh]

Thanks - they're both out of their broodiness thank goodness and back to normal but not yet laying again (the pure breds). One of the rescues had sour crop so put my vet hat on and she's absolutely fine now but not laying either. Not bothered so much by lack of eggs as long as they are all healthy and happy.

They’ll come back into lay sooner the quicker you break them, as well. I love my pure breeds.