I am really confused on the behaviors of my hens, mainly two of them. Both are about a year old and keep growling at me when I reach in to get eggs.
First my SS hen was the one I first saw in the box, I would reach in, she would puff all up and get all mad at me, so I figured she was going broody or that she was. However, she still had all her feathers on her belly, and I read somewhere that they sometimes pluck them off. But she still had them. But either way I was excited because I have been wanting more chicks.
So about an hour later I went out and checked on her. She was still there. Then a few more hours later she was still there. I went out a bit ago to give them more feed and she was in the run with the others. I looked in and my PR was sitting in the box. I also read that two hens sometimes share the brooding time.
But what really has me confused and lost is the fact that both the hens leave the nest for a while, and then one or the other comes back. Now is this because the eggs are getting to hot and they are cooling them a bit? Or are they just not broody like I thought?
I am in my almost second year of having chickens, so I am fairly new at this. Any help would be great because I am so confused on how they are acting.
First my SS hen was the one I first saw in the box, I would reach in, she would puff all up and get all mad at me, so I figured she was going broody or that she was. However, she still had all her feathers on her belly, and I read somewhere that they sometimes pluck them off. But she still had them. But either way I was excited because I have been wanting more chicks.
So about an hour later I went out and checked on her. She was still there. Then a few more hours later she was still there. I went out a bit ago to give them more feed and she was in the run with the others. I looked in and my PR was sitting in the box. I also read that two hens sometimes share the brooding time.
But what really has me confused and lost is the fact that both the hens leave the nest for a while, and then one or the other comes back. Now is this because the eggs are getting to hot and they are cooling them a bit? Or are they just not broody like I thought?
I am in my almost second year of having chickens, so I am fairly new at this. Any help would be great because I am so confused on how they are acting.