AlliJackson
Chirping
Hi yall. Bear with me as I am new still. I have a few issues going on, and need some guidance.
1) I have a 1 cochin hen that is a little over 1 year old. She started laying a few months back, and has been my ONLY chicken for about 3 months (the others wandered off and never returned). Anyway, my hen stopped laying about 2 weeks ago. There are no roosters around and she seems to be displaying broody behaviors (stays in her nesting box all the time! I take her out and she immediately runs around and eats and drinks, then returns to the box. So, I figured she may be broody..if that's possible, even though she hasn't laid in 2 weeks and there is no rooster).
2) my 2nd issue is I am introducing 4 easter Eggers to the coop. They are 10 weeks old. Last night was their first night and it went ok, but the hen stayed in her nesting box all day & night and did not even interact.
3) today, I took the hen out of the box to force her outside to eat and she chowed down and has since been chasing the pullets around the yard and almost bullying them. I know there is a pecking order to be established. Is this what is going on? And at what point (if at all) do I need to intervene? And since she may be broody, do I need to put her in a cage separate in "timeout " anyway to break her of broody while the pullets get used to the coop and run?
Thank you in advance!!
1) I have a 1 cochin hen that is a little over 1 year old. She started laying a few months back, and has been my ONLY chicken for about 3 months (the others wandered off and never returned). Anyway, my hen stopped laying about 2 weeks ago. There are no roosters around and she seems to be displaying broody behaviors (stays in her nesting box all the time! I take her out and she immediately runs around and eats and drinks, then returns to the box. So, I figured she may be broody..if that's possible, even though she hasn't laid in 2 weeks and there is no rooster).
2) my 2nd issue is I am introducing 4 easter Eggers to the coop. They are 10 weeks old. Last night was their first night and it went ok, but the hen stayed in her nesting box all day & night and did not even interact.
3) today, I took the hen out of the box to force her outside to eat and she chowed down and has since been chasing the pullets around the yard and almost bullying them. I know there is a pecking order to be established. Is this what is going on? And at what point (if at all) do I need to intervene? And since she may be broody, do I need to put her in a cage separate in "timeout " anyway to break her of broody while the pullets get used to the coop and run?
Thank you in advance!!