I guess the description of seldom goes broody isn't the same as never will go broody. Oh well. At first I was worried that Buddy was sick. She normally spends more time in the nest box than my other two barred rocks, but starting Sunday she wouldn't come out. I was really worried because it was in the mid 90's and she was just panting. She wouldn't take any water from me, so we finally just picked her up out of the box and put her outside where the other two were free ranging. She spent a bunch of time drinking water, then wandered around the yard for a while, then back in the nest box.
Yesterday morning she was out and about in the run for a while, but then back in the box. I decided to start pulling her out every afternoon when I let the other two out, and closing the door so she can't get back in. She seemed ok with that, I kept checking to make sure she wasn't waiting at the top of the ramp.
Today she was already out of the box and in the run when it was time to free range. (Also saw an enormous turd, so she must have been holding it in for a long time!). I let them out, and again closed the door so she couldn't get back to the box. I checked on them a bunch of times to make sure she was ok. At my last check, she was sitting on top of the lid of the nest box! That's a good 3 foot jump up, and she's a big girl. I pulled out my phone to take a picture, but she jumped down too quickly. I opened the door and let her go back to her precious nest box.
Hope this doesn't last too long. She seems ok with being forced to abandon the nest for a few hours in the afternoon.
Here's a picture of the coop showing the nest box lid.
Yesterday morning she was out and about in the run for a while, but then back in the box. I decided to start pulling her out every afternoon when I let the other two out, and closing the door so she can't get back in. She seemed ok with that, I kept checking to make sure she wasn't waiting at the top of the ramp.
Today she was already out of the box and in the run when it was time to free range. (Also saw an enormous turd, so she must have been holding it in for a long time!). I let them out, and again closed the door so she couldn't get back to the box. I checked on them a bunch of times to make sure she was ok. At my last check, she was sitting on top of the lid of the nest box! That's a good 3 foot jump up, and she's a big girl. I pulled out my phone to take a picture, but she jumped down too quickly. I opened the door and let her go back to her precious nest box.
Hope this doesn't last too long. She seems ok with being forced to abandon the nest for a few hours in the afternoon.
Here's a picture of the coop showing the nest box lid.
