Hi All!
I have a hen that decided to start being broody today... I think. :cd
Backstory... she refuses to lay eggs in the nesting box set up for her in the chicken shed. After several weeks of us hunting for her eggs she settled on a corner under the deck, inconvenient but I can deal with that, mostly because no hunting is involved. To encourage her to keep it in one spot, we put a few golf balls and a single egg in her nest. For about three weeks she's been laying and then running off to hunt grasshoppers and sunflower seeds.
Today, she skipped the morning treat rituals and just ran to her nest, laid an egg, and hasn't moved except to get water and food this afternoon but she was right back to the nest 15 minutes later and is still there. So questions since she only has two good eggs (one is from another hen) under her:
1- will she continue to lay until she has a certain number?
2- should I remove the rotten egg and the golf balls?
3- should I put yesterday's eggs back under her? Or maybe more but the others have been in the fridge for a few days.
4- should I try to move her? She's in an area that I can fence off but I'll still worry about fox and raccoons.
5- the night temps are starting to drop so three weeks from now they might be in the high 40's or low 50's. is that too cold for babies?
6- I was planning on setting up a feed station close to her. Yes? No?
I know I have other questions but just haven't thought of them yet so any advice or comments are welcome!
e
I have a hen that decided to start being broody today... I think. :cd
Backstory... she refuses to lay eggs in the nesting box set up for her in the chicken shed. After several weeks of us hunting for her eggs she settled on a corner under the deck, inconvenient but I can deal with that, mostly because no hunting is involved. To encourage her to keep it in one spot, we put a few golf balls and a single egg in her nest. For about three weeks she's been laying and then running off to hunt grasshoppers and sunflower seeds.
Today, she skipped the morning treat rituals and just ran to her nest, laid an egg, and hasn't moved except to get water and food this afternoon but she was right back to the nest 15 minutes later and is still there. So questions since she only has two good eggs (one is from another hen) under her:
1- will she continue to lay until she has a certain number?
2- should I remove the rotten egg and the golf balls?
3- should I put yesterday's eggs back under her? Or maybe more but the others have been in the fridge for a few days.
4- should I try to move her? She's in an area that I can fence off but I'll still worry about fox and raccoons.
5- the night temps are starting to drop so three weeks from now they might be in the high 40's or low 50's. is that too cold for babies?
6- I was planning on setting up a feed station close to her. Yes? No?
I know I have other questions but just haven't thought of them yet so any advice or comments are welcome!
e