We got our first chickens this spring: five adults, plus one mom and her four peeps. Well, wouldn't you know it... the babies have all grown up. Two were roosters and have moved out to the country, and the other two have just started to lay tiny little eggs.
Evidently, Mama Toes (she's got really crooked toes) has decided that since her babies are all grown up, it's time for a new batch. She went broody on us.
We tried to break her broodiness because we're really happy with our 8 chickens and can only have 10 in total anyway, but she's one stubborn lady-chicken. She was going broody, and that was that. We decided we'd better get her some eggs so she could do her thing and be done with it. Reading all the stories about chickens who stay broody for months and months made me worry about this one's health. We're in North Carolina, and it gets hot here in the summer. I didn't want her cooking in the nest box all summer long for a whole lot of nothing.
The local chicken guy had four eggs for us (well, five actually, but I'm such a klutz I smashed one
). We brought them home and tucked them under her and all was well.
Because we were worried about Mama Toes eating and drinking, we attached a waterer to the ledge right outside the nest box - she doesn't have to leave the box to drink. And we put a small square Tupperware container with some feed and a few BOS seeds in the corner of the box. This morning when I checked on her, the Tupperware container was gone. Vanished. Poof! DH came out later and lifted her up for me. Guess what... Sometime during the night she'd decided that she could make baby Tupperware containers if she just tried hard enough. She'd scooted the little box to the back of her pile of eggs and was happily (if somewhat uncomfortably) brooding away. She didn't even spill anything. Amazing.
So, is this normal? Or is Mama-Toes just an über-broody? Anybody else found some strange stuff under one of their broodies? Inquiring minds want to know....
Evidently, Mama Toes (she's got really crooked toes) has decided that since her babies are all grown up, it's time for a new batch. She went broody on us.
We tried to break her broodiness because we're really happy with our 8 chickens and can only have 10 in total anyway, but she's one stubborn lady-chicken. She was going broody, and that was that. We decided we'd better get her some eggs so she could do her thing and be done with it. Reading all the stories about chickens who stay broody for months and months made me worry about this one's health. We're in North Carolina, and it gets hot here in the summer. I didn't want her cooking in the nest box all summer long for a whole lot of nothing.
The local chicken guy had four eggs for us (well, five actually, but I'm such a klutz I smashed one
Because we were worried about Mama Toes eating and drinking, we attached a waterer to the ledge right outside the nest box - she doesn't have to leave the box to drink. And we put a small square Tupperware container with some feed and a few BOS seeds in the corner of the box. This morning when I checked on her, the Tupperware container was gone. Vanished. Poof! DH came out later and lifted her up for me. Guess what... Sometime during the night she'd decided that she could make baby Tupperware containers if she just tried hard enough. She'd scooted the little box to the back of her pile of eggs and was happily (if somewhat uncomfortably) brooding away. She didn't even spill anything. Amazing.
So, is this normal? Or is Mama-Toes just an über-broody? Anybody else found some strange stuff under one of their broodies? Inquiring minds want to know....
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