Broody Babes & Extra Eggs

A new problem has come about. We've heard that silkies make good mommas because they become broody easily. This means that they want to sit on eggs, they want to hatch eggs, and they want to raise chicks. Well, Sprocket, our buff silkie has become broody. She has started sitting on her eggs, as well as Jett and Snaps's eggs, and has even started sitting on the nest even if there are no eggs to sit on. 

Sprocket sitting on her nest.

The problem with this is twofold. 1. The warmth of her body will make the eggs go bad sooner. And 2. there is no rooster to fertilize any eggs, so she would be sitting there forever. When hens go broody, they don't eat as much, they don't drink as much water, and they get very aggressive about their surroundings. The other hens have started laying their eggs in the other nest box, and I have begun picking Sprocket up and removing her (no matter how angry she may be) from her nest in hopes of breaking her broodiness. 

Sprocket sitting on her nest, while the other hens

use the other nest box.

Even with Sprocket's broodiness, after a while of getting 3 or more eggs per day, and not always eating them, we found ourselves with a bowl of eggs on our counter with no idea of their age. Some would automatically throw them all away and start fresh, but I had learned a way to test each egg for its freshness, and today I will share it with you.

The first step, is to get a big bowl or pitcher and fill it with water (something that is at least an egg or two deep). Then, take an egg and gently place it in the water. Following the diagram below, you can tell whether you can keep the egg or compost/trash it. 

Since you placed the eggs in the water, all of the eggs you keep will need to be kept in the refrigerator after this test, and until you eat them.

Here's to all your broody hens out there, and hoping you can keep them healthy, happy, and safe.