Broody Buff Orp

[Astrid]

Thanks for the pictures! I've got a very broody buff hen at the moment too.....but no rooster, so no eggs that will hatch! I'm really not looking for more chickens, either, so I put her in a dog crate with food and water. She's not thrilled, but so be it. I'm glad to read about the belly feathers falling out; my girl is just bald on her belly! Upsetting to me at first; our girls have lovely thick feathering so I was sad to see this go. Will it grow back?

Oh, thanks for mentioning the broody poop! I was wondering why my scrupulously clean, huge coop inhabited by only four hens was stinking ! And my daughter said she saw the hen poop two GIANT poops, and she's all puffed up like a Tom Turkey, so everything you mentioned fits what our girl is exhibiting.

Is this "broody season" or something? Ours are only a year old, so we haven't been through this before.

Thanks for any advice!
Astrid

 

[MooseHillFarm]

Quote:
That's a good question. I always thought spring was more broody/hatching time than mid summer. But I'm sure it all depends on the age of the hen. My broody is 9 mos old.
An update on her not leaving the nest. She left on her own around 10 this morning. She ran around the yard, all puffed up. She shook tons of dust off her feathers, and stood around kind of heaving. Pecked in the grass a bit. When she returned to the coop, she scratched in the shavings, ignored the feed and water, and popped back on the nest. Weird thing though; last time she was up I counted 4 eggs, today there were 6! The eggs are all hers I know, because of the color.
So, now that I've seen she knows how to take care of herself with a little break, maybe I'll just trust that she won't starve, dehydrate, or fail to let the eggs cool. I'm just so excited! Nature is grand.