It's great it's not a problem for you, but we don't have a Cockerel so no chance of hatching babies. This is the first time I've had a broody, she's a light Sussex and apparently that breed is prone to broodiness, wish I'd done more research before I bought her, but I wouldn't part with her now...
Thank goodness she finished brooding on 2nd May, when she willingly went out of the coop as soon as we opened it and stayed out free ranging all day. In addition to locking her out of the coop each day and placing her on a roosting bar each night, we twice sat her in cool water. The water method...
OMG, BlindLemonChicken and Auntiejessi3, thank you so much for setting me straight. For info, a local farmer recommended the sitting on fake eggs method. As I don't have a suitable cage, and to be honest can't afford to buy a dog cage or similar, I'll just have to shut her out of the coop...
It's official, she's definitely broody. I didn't have the heart (or a suitable cage) to break the broodiness, so I got a couple of China eggs that she's sitting on. Hopefully she'll realise that they're not going to hatch and abandon then at some point, I read it takes about 2 weeks.
We shoo her...
Thanks ridgerunner, she spent last night on the nest as well, but after a lot of squawking she accepted being shooed out of the coop, she had already laid, as had the others and was sitting on all the eggs. We have 3 nest boxes (and 3 chickens) but they all like to use the same one🙄
hi, I have 10 month old light Sussex, last night she didn't sleep on the perch with the others but instead slept in one of the nesting boxes.
Today she sat in the nesting box for hours, we honestly thought she was having trouble laying. She is normally quite timid and docile, but pecked...
I bought 3 new pallets in September, 2 started laying late October, lovely firm brown shells, small, but getting bigger. However, the 3rd one, a red rock, laid her first egg in mid November, seemingly without issue. She's only laid 9 or 10 eggs since then and recently seemed to be having trouble...
Thanks a lot azygous, the older ones are trained to the call "chop chop" (nothing to do with butchering, honest):D
It just sounds like the noise they make when calling to each other.
The new ones not so much, but will re-enforce with them over the next day or so - fingers crossed
Thank you Ridgerunner for your great advice and reassurance, I've had a word with farmer, we can put up temporary fencing (40' x 20') so they don't wander to far until the pecking order is sorted. We always herd the older ones in before sunset so it's no issue to do the same with all of them.