T-rex in the nestbox

[SunChick]

Ok, all this talk of broodies and I informed DH that I just ordered some more eggs...ok i'm addicted now after the first hatch--much to his dismay. I am expecting eggs this week, and I go the coop to collect and I have hens in the boxes. Ok, no fear, got eggs from under one, the other I didn't try! She growled, snapped, clicked her beak and since it is the kitty carrier nest box I wasn't about to put my hand in with a snapping RIR pullet! I have gone down to the coop several times today and each time I open the door I am greeted with a large growl and clicking beak! My goodness she means business! I think she has gone broody--much to DH's dismay as I have plans for this! I was going to put some of my eggs in with my purchased ones, but----I think I'll let her set if she will. Place a few of the others with her and see what she can do. DH is already lamenting, but our egg production is decreasing, I really don't think this will be a problem with 2 buff orpingtons and an austrolorp coming of age any day now! He insists on taking the egg from her, I told him he may try if he doesn't care about his hands! LOL, nevertheless he hasn't gone to the coop yet....

 

[speckledhen]

Oh, my, can I relate today! I wouldn't want to lose a hand, either! I also have a broody hen. My Buff Orp, Sunny, was running around the yard yesterday looking like a blown up fluffy gold fat Weebles(remember, Weebles wobble, but they dont fall down, LOL) toy airplane with her head down and her wings out, growling and screaming like a madwoman! She was fighting everyone on the roosts last night and clucking her head off like she was talking to herself all the time. I tried to break her up when she went broody last fall, but I failed, and she literally almost killed herself sitting on air for three weeks.

THIS time, that nutty woman is getting some of my Barred Rock, Lexie's fertile eggs (thank you, thank you, Hawkeye, for finally getting it right) to sit on, just as soon as she stops laying. AND she's going into a broody pen that is built in the nursery coop, just vacated by my 12 week olds. She'll have all the privacy she wants and I can let her out once a day to dustbathe. Just cross your fingers that she is more normal now that she'll have a more natural situation this time, with actual fertile eggs under her fluffy behind!

Of course, she waited until hatch day to do this to me..

 

[skeeter9]

I have a Buff Orp who has 1 chick that's about 5 days old. I let her out in the yard yesterday for the first time. You should have seen how big she got when one of our cats walked by!!!! She puffed up like that marshmallow guy on Ghost Busters and took after that cat making the scariest noises I've ever heard her make! The poor cat didn't know what to do, since he wasn't even paying any attention to her or the chick!!

While she was setting, she was so nasty I finally just left her alone! And this is the hen that absolutely loves attention and will jump up in your lap if you're sitting in a chair in the yard!!

It's really not surprising that chickens are related to T-rex!!!!

Lori

 

[SunChick]

Quote:
Isn't that usually the Way? I think mine heard us discussing the new eggs coming in. She has two eggs and two golfballs (i never removed them from training the pullets) and I am going to give her tomorrows batch of eggs to set also. And here I thought RIRs were not likely to go broody! T-rex's they say make good moms!