Can I move Stephanie??

[Sinful chick]

Yes. I need to learn more,actually about what “brooding” really is.. BUT in the meantime...time’s a-wasting! ...Here I go....keep you guys posted!!! Fingers and spurs crossed!!

Ok. I did it. I picked her up and put her on the roost in the coop. She was arguing with me a little. I came in and got a box, lined it with a soft towel and put the egg in it. Took it out to show her, and she was interested, but not enough to keep her from “yelling” at me and turning the whole “gang” against me. I got outta there as fast as I could , trying to go slow and speak softly. Man, she is downright pissed!!! I feel relieved, but guilty that I disturbed her. I’m going to find an article right now on “brooding” and read up on that! Thanks to all of you (SO MUCH) for calming me down. Steph will thank you, too...tomorrow...when she gets over it!

 

[Sinful chick]

When mine go broody I take them out of the coop every day. It is better to break them of it if you're not having them hatch eggs.

That’s good to know! Mine free range all day, then at 530 (on the dot!) they go to the coop. About killed me when I looked in to say good night and that I loved them, and Steph was not there. We will see how she feels tomorrow!

 

[aart]

We will see how she feels tomorrow!

Time will tell. Here's the signs:
Is she on nest most the day and all night?
When you pull her out of nest and put her on the ground, doesn't she flatten right back out into a fluffy screeching pancake?
Does she walk around making a low cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck sound on her way back to the nest?
If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.

Good Job moving her to the roost!!
Actually best for it to be your decision (see below)
Is it winter where you are?

Where in this world are you located?
Climate is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, (laptop version shown), then it's always there!

You'll need to decide if you want her to hatch out some chicks, and how you will 'manage' it.

Do you have, or can you get, some fertile eggs?

Do you have the space needed? Both for more chickens and she may need to be separated by wire from the rest of the flock.

Do you have a plan on what to do with the inevitable males? Rehome, butcher, keep in separate 'bachelor pad'?

If you decide to let her hatch out some fertile eggs, this is a great thread for reference and to ask questions.

It's a long one but just start reading the first few pages, then browse thru some more at random.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/496101/broody-hen-thread


If you don't want her to hatch out chicks, best to break her broodiness promptly.

My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest, I put her in a wire dog crate with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop with feed and water.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.
Chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor after pic was taken.

 

[Sinful chick]

Time will tell. Here's the signs:
Is she on nest most the day and all night?
When you pull her out of nest and put her on the ground, doesn't she flatten right back out into a fluffy screeching pancake?
Does she walk around making a low cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck sound on her way back to the nest?
If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.

Good Job moving her to the roost!!
Actually best for it to be your decision (see below)
Is it winter where you are?

Where in this world are you located?
Climate is almost always a factor.
Please add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, (laptop version shown), then it's always there!
View attachment 1628870


You'll need to decide if you want her to hatch out some chicks, and how you will 'manage' it.

Do you have, or can you get, some fertile eggs?

Do you have the space needed? Both for more chickens and she may need to be separated by wire from the rest of the flock.

Do you have a plan on what to do with the inevitable males? Rehome, butcher, keep in separate 'bachelor pad'?

If you decide to let her hatch out some fertile eggs, this is a great thread for reference and to ask questions.

It's a long one but just start reading the first few pages, then browse thru some more at random.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/496101/broody-hen-thread


If you don't want her to hatch out chicks, best to break her broodiness promptly.

My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest, I put her in a wire dog crate with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop with feed and water.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.
Chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor after pic was taken.
View attachment 1628871

Thanks!!! I will start reading!! This JUST happened! She usually lays every other day, so today , she went right to the roost, having no egg. I hope I panicked for nothing. I’ll watch her carefully tomorrow, too! I’m overly protective, probably. Im the only one who cares for them. (Being, Irene, Bob and Stephanie) Everyone else thinks I’m a nut job! That’s ok...I know the truth and they don’t know what they’re missing!!

 

[aart]

She usually lays every other day, so today , she went right to the roost, having no egg. I hope I panicked for nothing. I’ll watch her carefully tomorrow, too!

Some birds like to 'lounge' in the nests before and/or after laying...sometimes they lounge a bit got for s troll or snack and come back hours later to actually lay, or not.
First clue to broody is staying in the nest most the day and all night...then those other things. Once you fully learn that broody cluck, you can hear it a figurative mile away.

 

[Chickassan]

The broody cluck @aart is talking about sounds a lot like your hen is impersonating a ticking bomb. It is actually the perfet sound for the occasion , you'll see.

Some birds like to 'lounge' in the nests before and/or after laying...sometimes they lounge a bit got for s troll or snack and come back hours later to actually lay, or not.
First clue to broody is staying in the nest most the day and all night...then those other things. Once you fully learn that broody cluck, you can hear it a figurative mile away.

 

[aart]

sounds a lot like your hen is impersonating a ticking bomb.

Oh.... That's a good one, gonna remember that.

 

[Sinful chick]

Some birds like to 'lounge' in the nests before and/or after laying...sometimes they lounge a bit got for s troll or snack and come back hours later to actually lay, or not.
First clue to broody is staying in the nest most the day and all night...then those other things. Once you fully learn that broody cluck, you can hear it a figurative mile away.

Is it like “I’m gonna KILL you, if you come any closer!”? (She never would....)

 

[Sinful chick]

Some birds like to 'lounge' in the nests before and/or after laying...sometimes they lounge a bit got for s troll or snack and come back hours later to actually lay, or not.
First clue to broody is staying in the nest most the day and all night...then those other things. Once you fully learn that broody cluck, you can hear it a figurative mile away.

I can’t wait! It DID sound like she was gonna kill me....

 

[aart]

Is it like “I’m gonna KILL you, if you come any closer!”? (She never would....)

No, the broody cluck is a low cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck sound.
The imagonnakillyou is the pterodactyl scream they make when you try to touch their nest