Aayan Mirza
In the Brooder
- Sep 23, 2017
- 22
- 6
- 21
My Aseel, who is around and above a year old, is going through her moult. A light one though. She is missing feathers on both her leg joints and few other places as well. Unnoticeable without picking her up and having a deeper look. But interestingly, she hasn't stopped laying. Neither the number of eggs has reduced. In fact, before the last time she went broody, she laid 15 eggs and then sat on them, this was end October and part of September. The eggs weren't fertilised, so nothing happened. But after around a week and a half, she started laying again in end November and continues to do so, and the number surprisingly has surpassed her previous laying record of 15 eggs. She has laid 16 so far.
But interestingly, it doesn't end there, throughout this period, specially for last week and a half, she is in a partially broody state as well. She would go into the coop at night after a full day of staying out, I keep wooden eggs in the nesting box, so she goes in, looks at the eggs, makes a little noise at the sight of the eggs, collects them under her and sits on them. You dare put your hand in there and she will poof up and become aggressive, specially if another hen comes nearby, she starts screaming. Would sit all night, and part of the morning, and as I open her, would go out and take the typical big, stinky broody dump, but won't go back to her eggs. Even when she goes in to lay her egg for the day, she would just go in, lay and get out. Doesn't sit on the eggs then.
Honestly, I am not complaining. But this doesn't sound normal, does it? Shouldn't this time of the year be her rest period? I don't artificially light my coop at night, and in fact I cover it up with an old black car cover I had, this to protect them against draft. At times I get even late at lifting it up in the morning, like 3, 4 hours late in letting them out. So she isn't even getting the ideal amount of sunlight, in the winters, but still, laying, moulting and brooding all at the same time. Not normal, right?
But interestingly, it doesn't end there, throughout this period, specially for last week and a half, she is in a partially broody state as well. She would go into the coop at night after a full day of staying out, I keep wooden eggs in the nesting box, so she goes in, looks at the eggs, makes a little noise at the sight of the eggs, collects them under her and sits on them. You dare put your hand in there and she will poof up and become aggressive, specially if another hen comes nearby, she starts screaming. Would sit all night, and part of the morning, and as I open her, would go out and take the typical big, stinky broody dump, but won't go back to her eggs. Even when she goes in to lay her egg for the day, she would just go in, lay and get out. Doesn't sit on the eggs then.
Honestly, I am not complaining. But this doesn't sound normal, does it? Shouldn't this time of the year be her rest period? I don't artificially light my coop at night, and in fact I cover it up with an old black car cover I had, this to protect them against draft. At times I get even late at lifting it up in the morning, like 3, 4 hours late in letting them out. So she isn't even getting the ideal amount of sunlight, in the winters, but still, laying, moulting and brooding all at the same time. Not normal, right?
