I'm the keeper of 2 adult Columbian Coochins and a Rooster. I have had the birds about 2 1/2 months. The hens came home alone meaning without the rooster. For the first 2 months both girls laid an egg every day. Suddenly the younger of the two stopped laying and went broody. While she sat on her nest the other ranged and seemed lonely. I brought home a rooster for her and they hit it off fairly well though he isnt terrible demanding. Well 5 days ago his girl laid her last egg and is now broody sitting on her egg.
Well now the situation and it has been for the last 5 days I have a rooster who want to get into the nest with the younger bird who isnt sitting on anything (the latter broody) makes real ugly noises if he tries to join her. The little girl doesnt seem to mind. I' not liking it so I take him out of the nest and put him back outside and he ranges till time to go to the roost.
I dont think the egg the older broody is sitting on is fertile (but I might be wrong) and the younger (by younger I mean just over a year old and the older is about 6 months ahead of her.
The gal thats been on an empty nest for 22 days doesnt show any sign of wanting to get back into the routine of ranging. Since the older is just began sitting Im not too concerned other than I think she wasting her time. ( I candled the egg and it doenst look like anything is developing. The rooster starts at 3am crowing and stays at it until late afternoon as he is ranging.
I would like to see things get back to normal meaning all three roost in the evening, and range when I open the coop in the morning. I have been taking both girls off their nests and bring them out in the yard for food and water every day. They eat and drink and scratch around for about 20 minutes to an hour or so then its a b-line back to the coop and into their prospective nest.
Should I just let things take their course or interfere with the younger 22 day empty nest brooder and close the run gate and not let her back in until evening when the rooster goes in? 3 weeks seems like an awfully long time to sit on an empty nest. Everything seemed so normal then it all got weird.
Sure would appreciate some ideas. I hate to mess with mother nature but dont mind helping out if I can. They were normally ranging all day and heading back in at dusk and roosting peacefully all night. Not now.......ahhhhhhhhhhhh! Both hens are easy to handle when I carry them out to the yard everyday and they seem happy being out there for a short time then something calls and its back to the nest. Actually I carry them out 2-3 times a day, morning, noon and evening its always the same they eat well, drink well and then back to the nest.
Well now the situation and it has been for the last 5 days I have a rooster who want to get into the nest with the younger bird who isnt sitting on anything (the latter broody) makes real ugly noises if he tries to join her. The little girl doesnt seem to mind. I' not liking it so I take him out of the nest and put him back outside and he ranges till time to go to the roost.
I dont think the egg the older broody is sitting on is fertile (but I might be wrong) and the younger (by younger I mean just over a year old and the older is about 6 months ahead of her.
The gal thats been on an empty nest for 22 days doesnt show any sign of wanting to get back into the routine of ranging. Since the older is just began sitting Im not too concerned other than I think she wasting her time. ( I candled the egg and it doenst look like anything is developing. The rooster starts at 3am crowing and stays at it until late afternoon as he is ranging.
I would like to see things get back to normal meaning all three roost in the evening, and range when I open the coop in the morning. I have been taking both girls off their nests and bring them out in the yard for food and water every day. They eat and drink and scratch around for about 20 minutes to an hour or so then its a b-line back to the coop and into their prospective nest.
Should I just let things take their course or interfere with the younger 22 day empty nest brooder and close the run gate and not let her back in until evening when the rooster goes in? 3 weeks seems like an awfully long time to sit on an empty nest. Everything seemed so normal then it all got weird.
Sure would appreciate some ideas. I hate to mess with mother nature but dont mind helping out if I can. They were normally ranging all day and heading back in at dusk and roosting peacefully all night. Not now.......ahhhhhhhhhhhh! Both hens are easy to handle when I carry them out to the yard everyday and they seem happy being out there for a short time then something calls and its back to the nest. Actually I carry them out 2-3 times a day, morning, noon and evening its always the same they eat well, drink well and then back to the nest.
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