When Sandy our white leghorn went broody I thought "well, she's one of a kind". She raised her three chicks well, but has so far not gone broody again. I thought my Rhode Island Reds might go broody, but I never really considered my Red Stars doing it.
One of my Red Stars, whom I call Pearl, decided she loved a grossly dirty cardboard box in the oil room of our second barn. I found the hidden nest and cleaned the box, put hay in it, and let them lay there. She would dash out to it every morning, clucking away like a mother hen, even before feeding herself. This went on for about a month.
Well, we just got four hens to go broody, all around the same time, and a chick just recently hatched, so apparently she wanted a chance also.
I peeked inside the box one day and saw she was sitting more firmly on the nest. I didn't think much of it until she wasn't on the roost that night. I instantly ran out to the box, wondering if she was broody or if she was egg-bound. I let her wait out the night in the box and checked on her in the morning. She was still firmly planted on the nest. She got off once that day and I added more hay and took away some of the old, dirty eggs. She returned to it and was sitting happily on it this evening.
Chickens always do the unexpected! We'll have to see if she stays on it through the whole term or just gives up like a few of my other hens did. I'll keep you updated!
Pearl on her nest
Sandy the leghorn with her chicks
One of my Red Stars, whom I call Pearl, decided she loved a grossly dirty cardboard box in the oil room of our second barn. I found the hidden nest and cleaned the box, put hay in it, and let them lay there. She would dash out to it every morning, clucking away like a mother hen, even before feeding herself. This went on for about a month.
Well, we just got four hens to go broody, all around the same time, and a chick just recently hatched, so apparently she wanted a chance also.
I peeked inside the box one day and saw she was sitting more firmly on the nest. I didn't think much of it until she wasn't on the roost that night. I instantly ran out to the box, wondering if she was broody or if she was egg-bound. I let her wait out the night in the box and checked on her in the morning. She was still firmly planted on the nest. She got off once that day and I added more hay and took away some of the old, dirty eggs. She returned to it and was sitting happily on it this evening.
Chickens always do the unexpected! We'll have to see if she stays on it through the whole term or just gives up like a few of my other hens did. I'll keep you updated!
Pearl on her nest
Sandy the leghorn with her chicks
