[Tony H]

Hi all i have a broody silkie i have seperated her and she is sitting on eggs, the only thing is she wont leave the nest, iv put her some water and food in easy reach but is ths normal 

[Sassy]

It can be. You really need to physically remove her to eat and drink and also to relieve herself or the eggs will get contaminated. It is not good for her not to stretch her legs.

I'm sure someone will be along to offer better advice.

[joyfull]

Hi Tony, yes you need to lift her off the eggs twice a day so she can eat, feed, pooh and stretch (warning broody poohs are huge and very smelly  ). Don't worry about her eggs getting cold - they will be fine. I had a broody off her eggs for several hours when her coop door closed and I didn't know - all hatched ok. The other birds may tell her off for leaving the eggs but she will be fine, they are just worried that she is abandoning the next generation. She will go round rosey away too them and the eggs just to let everybody know she is still on the case.
Whilst she is sitting on the eggs make sure you have collected the necessary items you will need for the forthcoming hatch - chick crumb (if medicated then make sure you can get some unmedicated easily in a hurry), coxoid or baycox - just in case you have a case of coccidiosis (this is where you will need the unmedicated feed), chick feeder and chick drinker. If you cant get a proper chick drinker then a shallow pot dish (I use a small animal pot dish like those for cats and rabbits) with some marbles in it as chicks can drown very easily.
Do not have food and water in the broody coop, the water can spill and wet the bedding and having the feed will stop her from going out.
Whilst she is broody treat her for mites and lice (I use frontline spray that my vet prescribes for my chickens) as broody hens are prone to them whilst sitting.
Good luck, although really I would not advise hatching this time of year - too cold 

[Tony H]

thanks for advice have already been out and got the food and water dispencers, she is on her own, i have watched her come out and do what i can only call a huge poop and my god what a stink  but she all seems ok with her 

[viettaclark]

Hi Tony!
I remember another of your posts about this hen going broody and I think I'm being nuts here but are the eggs fertile? Did you buy in fertile eggs or has a rooster had his wicked way?
Just wondering......if the eggs aren't fertile you need to remove them and eat them asap or she will think she's going to hatch them!
Breaking a broody is very demanding.....mine go for 5 weeks being ridiculous....won't get off the nest, won't eat/drink, fluff up and growl if you try to move them, twitter and buzz neurotically round the garden if they're locked out of the nest box.......and the other girls give them a hard time too.
All down to female hormones....say no more.

[Tony H]

No i got some fertile eggs from the chicken auction and brought a broody silkie, blackie who went broody before went back to normal when i kept removing her eggs, at that time i wasnt set up to be able to seperate her, after the experience i had with the last lot of eggs i incubated i decided nature was best and mothballed the damd thing 

[bantam novice]

I would agree with Joyful here that it is very cold for a broody.  I had a silkie cross that went broody but she abandoned her eggs a few days ago at day 11 because it got too cold 

[Tony H]

I know its to cold but i have put her in the garage which is slightly heated because of the finch avery in the one half, i didnt realy plan on getting a broody hen until spring but when i went to the auction my heart got the better of my rational thinking and felt sorry for her such a buitifull bird i didnt want to think of  her ending up in a curry