Hector's World: Adventures and Mayhem at Mountain View Poultry (or Sequel to The Evolution of Atlas

[1muttsfan]

so it looks like my broody is sitting really tight in the nest box right now. She won't even look at food not, even watermelon. I can reach under her and pull eggs out and she half-heartedly pecks me, but basically she seems like she's in a trance.

So if I want to move her to a different coop, what do you think my chances are that she'll continue sitting? I would really love her to sit on some eggs, but not in the nest box or in the main coop. think I should try moving her at night? And maybe cover her with a cardboard box or something to give her some privacy in the little coop?

 

[speckledhen]

So if I want to move her to a different coop, what do you think my chances are that she'll continue sitting? I would really love her to sit on some eggs, but not in the nest box or in the main coop. think I should try moving her at night? And maybe cover her with a cardboard box or something to give her some privacy in the little coop?

You can move her when it's at least close to roost time, dusky outside. All you can do is try. Most will settle down eventually, though it may take a few hours for some of them. Some never want to move successfully, but those are the minority, IMO.

 

[1muttsfan]

Well I'm going to give it a shot, maybe tomorrow night and let her set where she is for a little longer.

I thought this was just great

 

[speckledhen]

Ha, that 3rd one works with chicks, too. I call it the "wait and see method".

 

[1muttsfan]

I booted her off the nest and put her outside to see how she would handle it, she ran around and ate and drank and drank and drank and seemed very put out that all the watermelon was gone. but I see she went back in pretty quickly so I'll check her in the morning and see if she went back to the nest.

 

[speckledhen]

I am about to either execute Hector or sell him off. He makes constant noise, not crowing, just cackling at the drop of hat and when he isn't doing that, he walks around grumbling, sometimes under his breath, sometimes loudly. He's the biggest motor mouth I've ever had! No rooster makes this much noise! And he has the most syllables in his crow of any rooster I've ever owned (well, of course...it's Hector).
I have a spray mister bottle that will also do a stream. I've shot him with water to shut him up and it used to work; he'd even get quiet when he saw the blue bottle come out and aim at him. Now, I can soak him and he just keeps going and going....and going and going! He's simply defective and it didn't show up until now, that's it.

 

[getaclue]

Is there something going on out of the ordinary? I don't remember you complaining about it before, so does it have to do with his age? I guess you wouldn't know if he only does this when someone is around, like talking to them.

 

[speckledhen]

Is there something going on out of the ordinary? I don't remember you complaining about it before, so does it have to do with his age? I guess you wouldn't know if he only does this when someone is around, like talking to them.

I've always called him a Feathered Fire Alarm. He's been like this forever, but sometimes, it gets to me more than others. He was particularly annoying today and got Bash and Atlas going. I can hear him over the baby monitor so he does it when he's in the barn without humans present. The least little thing sets him off. And his crow, gosh, about 9 syllables-worth, is just pure Hector.

 

[speckledhen]

I keep forgetting to post this picture I took of Maddie and Jane. They have 6 eggs in the incubator (I think that's the count-no, correction, 7) on Day 13, need to re-candle to be sure they're still viable. Found my little hygro and calibrated it so the digital on the Genesis is only reading about 3% too low, not enough to throw off a hatch. I sometimes wish I could watch them develop, these babies of theirs, but today, I am not in a good mood for even considering adding any birds.

 

[1muttsfan]

Not that Maddie isn't a beautiful girl, but there's just something about the way that Jane looks...