- Jan 12, 2013
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Hey there, my Buff Orbington "Winnifred" has gone broody again. She went broody last spring/summer, but this year is much worse. Last season, we changed up the hens schedule and allowed them access to the nest box until the afternoon, then we closed up the doors to the house and engaged them in ranging. It took Winnie a few days to stop panicking and get back to doing the chicken things she normally does. This year she has been absolutely incessant with her broodiness. She will stay in her box for days, and from what I can tell, not eating or dinking. She feels much lighter and seems a bit lethargic. I tried the same tactic as last year but Winnie took it to a new level. When closed out she spends the whole day obsessively pacing around the house and run. She's also becoming a bit aggressive towards the other hens. One of them, Beatrice (silver-laced wyodatte) has stopped laying because of it. What else can I do? Give her fertilized eggs? Separate her? She's normally a real sweat heart full of energy and first out of the run to range.