My pullets have only recently started laying, Got the 1st egg on October 30.
Yesterday, My Buff Orpington (Bugsy) wouldn't get out of her favorite nesting box, she even slept there last night.
All day today, she remained in there, kinda like staring off into nothing... I have heard that broody hens (pullet
in this case) can get a bit aggressive, so I slowly tried to check and see if she was okay.... she made a noise that I
can only compare to the velocaraptor sounds from Jurassic Park, and dared me to touch her... She is normally a
very polite girl. I assume that she has gone broody? She is sleeping in the nest box again tonight.
Questions I have are....
1) Its cold outside, just below freezing here now, and will get colder not much mind you, We are on the coast in NC,
but temps in the teens are common in the coldest winter months. If she has an egg or 2 under her, and they hatch
out, should I leave them to her? or snatch them away and raise them myself?
2) Seeing as how they have only been laying for a month, are the eggs even ready to be incubated?
3) should I try to break her from being broody? and how? I don't mind her hatching out a chick or 3, but I am just
scared it will be too cold for them..
help?
Yesterday, My Buff Orpington (Bugsy) wouldn't get out of her favorite nesting box, she even slept there last night.
All day today, she remained in there, kinda like staring off into nothing... I have heard that broody hens (pullet
in this case) can get a bit aggressive, so I slowly tried to check and see if she was okay.... she made a noise that I
can only compare to the velocaraptor sounds from Jurassic Park, and dared me to touch her... She is normally a
very polite girl. I assume that she has gone broody? She is sleeping in the nest box again tonight.
Questions I have are....
1) Its cold outside, just below freezing here now, and will get colder not much mind you, We are on the coast in NC,
but temps in the teens are common in the coldest winter months. If she has an egg or 2 under her, and they hatch
out, should I leave them to her? or snatch them away and raise them myself?
2) Seeing as how they have only been laying for a month, are the eggs even ready to be incubated?
3) should I try to break her from being broody? and how? I don't mind her hatching out a chick or 3, but I am just
scared it will be too cold for them..
help?