Cream Legbars

[ChicKat]

Thanks everyone for the accolades for (Amazing) Grace. I agree.

Also thanks for your egg information folks. My pullet surprised me too -- with the frequency of her laying out of the starting gate.




Female chick has white headspot small and difuse, eye liner -- and although you can't see it due to her angle here -- she is striped.



by 3PM yesterday 2-girls and 2-eggs, by 7PM two girls and two wet chicks exiting their shells. So today I will know the boy/girl ratio.

Your chicks playing 'queen of the toy' are really cute - cute chicks for sure.

 

[dretd]

by 3PM yesterday 2-girls and 2-eggs, by 7PM two girls and two wet chicks exiting their shells. So today I will know the boy/girl ratio.

Your chicks playing 'queen of the toy' are really cute - cute chicks for sure.

My gosh, this is so cute. I just love broodies. I can't wait to hear what you ended up with--I hope you get what you want!

 

[KPenley]

A perfect pic to remember your beautiful Grace.

 

[sol2go]

Any insights into broody pullets?
One of the seven sisters is monopolizing the nest, it's been two days straight now.
It would be fine with me if she goes broody, just wondering if I should test the waters .. stir the pot ... basically put my hand in there and see what happens?

 

[ChicKat]

A perfect pic to remember your beautiful Grace.

Thank you -- Yes, I lost Grace and 4-chicks to a raccoon attack. The predator(s) lifted the floor of the external nesting box part of the broody coop and gained access. Devistating.

 

[ChicKat]

Any insights into broody pullets?
One of the seven sisters is monopolizing the nest, it's been two days straight now.
It would be fine with me if she goes broody, just wondering if I should test the waters .. stir the pot ... basically put my hand in there and see what happens?

Heard about a broody pullet - meaning she hasn't produced eggs yet, but is on the nest box, right? Sometimes they do really enjoy playing house---but it is possible.

I would stick my hand in-- and even remove here the first couple of times. I worry about a really small chicken not having the stored resources to go in the lowered feed intake that broodies endure.

Here are some broody Cream Legbars:

You can compare notes and see if there is any similar response from yours. Good Luck.

 

[dretd]

Any insights into broody pullets?
One of the seven sisters is monopolizing the nest, it's been two days straight now.
It would be fine with me if she goes broody, just wondering if I should test the waters .. stir the pot ... basically put my hand in there and see what happens?

I have never had a pullet go broody without laying eggs first--not to say it couldn't happen, but logically a chicken would need to fill up a nest with her eggs before setting them and her genes would not get passed on if she sat on other chicken's eggs without adding any of her own.

My experience is that it is very obvious when a hen/pullet goes broody. I have one dabbler hen that likes to play house--she sits on the nest and tucks hay around, but if you take her off she stays off for a long time. A real broody will not only get mad at you when you are there, but will be mad at you when you take her off the nest and stay mad at you as she makes her way back up to the nest. My avatar is my Speckled Sussex Cluckles after I took her off her broody nest. She walks around clucking and hissing when you take her off the nest and puffs up like a big old tom turkey. When Cluckles get angry, she gets very, very angry!

I think the best was to test it is to look at the posture of the hen in the nest. If she is all cozy but bright and alert she is most likely playing house. If she is flattened down like a pancake, gives you the stink-eye and 'churrrs' at you then she may be broody. Broodys will also stop laying during their broody stupor and you will notice the comb is not as red as it had been before. A further test would be to place some eggs maybe a foot or so away from the broody. A true broody will crane her neck waaaay out and gather that lost egg and tuck it under herself. Then flatten down to a pancake again resuming her broody stupor.

 

[normanack]

I have never had a pullet go broody without laying eggs first--not to say it couldn't happen, but logically a chicken would need to fill up a nest with her eggs before setting them and her genes would not get passed on if she sat on other chicken's eggs without adding any of her own.  

My experience is that it is very obvious when a hen/pullet goes broody. I have one dabbler hen that likes to play house--she sits on the nest and tucks hay around, but if you take her off she stays off for a long time. A real broody will not only get mad at you when you are there, but will be mad at you when you take her off the nest and stay mad at you as she makes her way back up to the nest.

I think the best was to test it is to look at the posture of the hen in the nest. If she is all cozy but bright and alert she is most likely playing house. If she is flattened down like a pancake, gives you the stink-eye and 'churrrs' at you then she may be broody.

In my (limited) experience, you nailed it. Jett, current President of the Non-Laying Club, has twice scared my broody pair of Mille fleur d'Uccles off their side-by-side nests, and they raised holy heck. Jett had a good sit-down on the eggs. The first time I took her off. The second time the d'Uccles chased her off. She wasn't bothered at all.

 

[KPenley]

Thank you -- Yes, I lost Grace and 4-chicks to a raccoon attack. The predator(s) lifted the floor of the external nesting box part of the broody coop and gained access. Devistating.

Again, I am so sorry for your devastating loss ChicKat! Grace and her beautiful miracle babies will be remembered

 

[lonnyandrinda]

Oh ChicKat that is AWEFUL! So sorry! Somehow I missed that this had happened?