Chickens do the dumbest things . . .

[MIgourdgirl]

Don't get me wrong, I loooove all my chickens, think their the greatest, etc., but I just went down to close my chickens up for the night and saw a silkie sitting, or actually the appropriate word is setting in the middle of the floor--not where she normally lands for the night. I picked her up to move her so I could get past her, and noticed she was sitting/setting on a rock!! LOL!! As soon as I put her down, she went right back to her "pretend egg (rock)" and pushed it under her. After a while, she abandoned it. I left it there for kicks to see if anyone else will "adopt" it. Anyone else have hens setting on unusual looking "eggs"????

 

[Mahonri]

I'm going to have to get at least once silkie. Anyone in Phoenix want to sell me a white or a buff silkie mama?

 

[pgpoultry]

Hi, This has happened to me, too. It seems hens are easily fooled by pebbles.......but it does seem that broody hens will brood anything or nothing at all.
If you want chicks, now is your time, providing you have fertile eggs!
Sandie

 

[MIgourdgirl]

I've let almost all my broody gals have a small stash of eggs, and they're thrilled to be mamas. It's been fun watching all the chicks running around the chicken yard. I noticed a few minutes ago when I went to let the chickens out that no one has claimed the rock, so maybe everyone got smart! I actually have one more black silkie hen who recently decided she's going to be broody too, but I have more than enough chickens right now, so she'll just have to wait until next year!

 

[Jx2inNC]

There's no such thing as too many chickens!

Jared's uncle told us this weekend he had a banty sitting on some eggs. When they got home on Monday, he decided to go see exactly how many eggs she was sitting on. He tried to pick her up, she of course was pecking at his hands the whole time. He lifts her up, and............ it was one golf ball. Ha!

Apparently he had stuck the golf ball in there at some point, he said it encourages them to start laying? I was somewhat dissapointed that there will be no baby chicks

 

[FowlLanguage]

When my dad was a kid, he lived on a chicken farm. He says that they had bantams, but they were more for hatching than eggs or meat.

 

[MIgourdgirl]

Most of my chickens are bantams, and when they're not setting, they lay small to medium sized eggs. Actually, while we appreciate the eggs, we really enjoy watching "chicken TV" as my neighbor calls it. It is great fun and entertaining to see what everyone's up to in the chicken yard. In fact, I'd say it's better than most of the stuff you see on regular TV!! We get a kick out of watching which roosters have been duking it out for top spot, whose the best mama in the chicken yard, whose been messing in the sand pit, etc. I initially had mostly standard chickens, but as we've replaced chickens over the years, have gone with silkies and cochins. I love my feathery-footed guys and gals!

 

[gryeyes]

Somebody posted some time earlier about a broody hen hoping to hatch a small Tupperware container.

My BO JUST went broody on me, and she's in the nest box where I keep the golf ball. She won't let me check to see if she's got egg(s) there with it.... I'm dying to know.

 

[chickenzoo]

I had a few silkies try and set on plastic food that my nephews left in the yard. One was on a potato, one was on a tomato and a french fry.....

 

[schellie69]

I want a broody hen, none of my girls have gone broody on me and I have finally gotten a rooster does anyone have a spare silkie I could have I hear they go broody all the time I want fuzzy butts.