BornFelder
Chirping
New hand to the chicken thing, so much to learn, loving it!
We have a mixed flock in Hobart, Tasmania, including 2 18 month ISA browns, 2 POL Austrlalorps, 2 POL Aracauna.
More recently we picked up 2x 18 month old Barnvelds from a friend of a friend, a few months ago. We were told they had stopped laying at moult, and they had just finished moulting. Fast forward 3 months and they are fully integrated into the flock and seemingly well settled, albeit not laying yet, although we are coming in to winter and are down to 9-10 hours of daylight only.
That was until last week, when one of the Barnveldes, looking resplendent in its new coat and deep red comnb/wattle, started separating itself from the flock and jumping the fence into the neighbours yard (a 6 ft fence), preferring to stay there instead! I have had to chase it down every day now to get it to come back, even after waiting a few of those days out till dusk to see if it might come home to roost, alack.
I read an NZ blog that descibed similar behaviour making me think she may be broody? Finding her own private, dark nesting area (supplied by a large and dense bush in the neighbours back yard!). However, here in Hobart, it is the very start of winter, which would be an odd time to go broody? And she is not staying to her 'nest' as I can see her roaming around the neighbours yard when I put my head over. And at night if left uncaught (to see if she might come back) she will roost on the fence, not in her nest.
There is no bullying that I can discern, plenty of food, a HUGE yard for them to run around....
Think I'll put her in a breaker box for a few days, see what happens, in case she is broody.
*edit: As far I can tell, she has not started laying again yet... unless it is in the neighbours yard! I thought I heard her doing the egg song the other day, but I think in retrospect it was actually a distress/alert sound, as I had caught her out in her hiding place, LOL. Does the same noise now when I put her in the breaker box.
Any idas / suggestions, be more than welcome.
Regards,
Dan
We have a mixed flock in Hobart, Tasmania, including 2 18 month ISA browns, 2 POL Austrlalorps, 2 POL Aracauna.
More recently we picked up 2x 18 month old Barnvelds from a friend of a friend, a few months ago. We were told they had stopped laying at moult, and they had just finished moulting. Fast forward 3 months and they are fully integrated into the flock and seemingly well settled, albeit not laying yet, although we are coming in to winter and are down to 9-10 hours of daylight only.
That was until last week, when one of the Barnveldes, looking resplendent in its new coat and deep red comnb/wattle, started separating itself from the flock and jumping the fence into the neighbours yard (a 6 ft fence), preferring to stay there instead! I have had to chase it down every day now to get it to come back, even after waiting a few of those days out till dusk to see if it might come home to roost, alack.
I read an NZ blog that descibed similar behaviour making me think she may be broody? Finding her own private, dark nesting area (supplied by a large and dense bush in the neighbours back yard!). However, here in Hobart, it is the very start of winter, which would be an odd time to go broody? And she is not staying to her 'nest' as I can see her roaming around the neighbours yard when I put my head over. And at night if left uncaught (to see if she might come back) she will roost on the fence, not in her nest.
There is no bullying that I can discern, plenty of food, a HUGE yard for them to run around....
Think I'll put her in a breaker box for a few days, see what happens, in case she is broody.
*edit: As far I can tell, she has not started laying again yet... unless it is in the neighbours yard! I thought I heard her doing the egg song the other day, but I think in retrospect it was actually a distress/alert sound, as I had caught her out in her hiding place, LOL. Does the same noise now when I put her in the breaker box.
Any idas / suggestions, be more than welcome.
Regards,
Dan