I give up.. Austrolorps

[shiral]

Aussies are beautiful hens but stubborn. I have had a time getting mine to lay in a nest so far not successful and they wont roost. Strange chickens.. I cut down to one breed I only have the Aussies they get along with each other great and they stay together all the time.. never seen anything like it. Mine are 20 weeks and one at least has just started laying but catching her before she lays and putting her in the nest is a trick I havent mastered.. never had to train a chicken to lay in a nest never had to train one to roost.. strange birds.. this is my first experience with this breed. I do know that when a hen goes broody her temperature goes up she is very warm if you cool her off she will break the brood. I have seen folks put them a water with ice and then take them out and do it again.. I haven't done that. I just put them in a pen where the wind can cool off the cage the floor is wire the walls are wire and the top is wire .. it takes a few days usually but they snap out of it. At night when it cools down they have to lay on the wire floor and the air is still circulating under them .. so it works for me. the aussies have not started that stuff yet..