Timing Is Everything ...

[SandyM]

My broodies aren't silkies and they just decide "it's now" with no though at all as to my convenience it is or the weather!

Do you have any sitting right now KB?

[ross]

Ask Martin Al....haheeeee lol

[WLLady]

Well in cattle that use basically the same system we would hit with progesterone...then 48-72 hours later a shot of fsh, then 7days later a shot of LH when i was at the vet college. But they have a cycle lasting much longer than a chickens-a chicken is approx 18-26 hours not months!!....so i would assume prog then LH within a day....i cannot find any literature per se...since everyone wanting eggs does not want broodies so egg production is much better studied tha broodiness. About all they know is hens are better than pullets. Pullets are better than cockerels or roosters for brooding. ;-P.

Personally dinner out and a glass of wine will not be refused ;-P i have no idea what wine would do to a chicken...and dinner out should not include too much travel for a chicken (aka predator carrying)

[Killerbunny]

My PJ has been trying since before Xmas. I keep tossing her off the nest and it seems to have taken ATM. SHe raised 2 clutches last year the latest hatched in mid September!

[Killerbunny]

I always keep an incubator stabilised and ready even when I have broodies going just in case someone gets bored with the idea. Then you may as well put in some eggs too???

[SandyM]

Haha KB! You guys you guys.

[JimW]

Come on Sandy..... come over to the darkside!! Repeat after me...... I need an incubator..... I need an incubator..... lol

[SandyM]

Lol!! Jim knock it off!!

[windwalkingwolf]

Most hens have to have laid a few eggs before they will go broody, but I've heard it said Silkies will sometimes go broody out of the blue. I've only ever had one silkie, and she was WEIRD, so I can't speak from experience lol. What I do when I want to encourage broodiness, is replace the eggs they've laid with fake ones, and let them pile up. Once some chicken is on them, I leave the fake ones for 3 days to make sure she is serious, then swap fake eggs for the ones I want her to hatch. And keep removing fresh eggs, because they will all want to lay eggs under her. So if you want a girl to set at a certain time, you can try priming them like this beforehand, and don't order your eggs until she's in broody zen :)

[Doug The Chickenman]

I will possibly have white later this year and as to ducks we will have to see what happens.

I can't keep the silkies off the eggs, you have seen how many I have so that can lead to issues.
I still have them sitting at this time. I have lost some in the winter as they wont get off to eat or defecate because the eggs would freeze.