Hen with a bad attitude, wavering on what to do

[lomine]

with all due respect it sounds like she is a little sad about it too, It personally sounds to me like she wouldn't want to hear people joke about her issue, but I cannot speak for her.

I’m not sad about it. I’m not emotionally attached to her since she’s never been nice. I’m actually looking forward to not dealing with her attitude anymore. I’m totally fine with the jokes; I found them funny.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

@ButtonquailGirl14
It's not even a joke. Chicken with mashed potatoes is reality for a chicken going to slaughter. It's one of dozens of things that most people find delicious made out of a dead chicken. It's joyful, yes, because tasty food is a happy experience. But it's not a joke. It's just facts, a cooking suggestion, a recipe.
I agree with the idea that if you don't want to hear about people eating their chickens, avoid livestock-focused threads where people eat chickens.

 

[lomine]

Sitting hens should all have a private nursery or pen all to their lonesome to incubate in. I am sorry about your broken eggs but you want eggs then you should collect them multiple times each day.

Those are good points. At the time she went broody, I had three broodies in nest boxes on eggs and two in my large kennels with chicks. I didn’t really have anywhere to put the sitting ones. I think going broody must be contagious or something because it’s been one after another. Since then one of the broodies took her chicks to the roost so last night I did move the current sitter to the kennel.

About the eggs, I collect in the morning before work but I always find the majority at night. I’ve checked them on my days off and they are laying late into the afternoon.

 

[aart]

I had three broodies in nest boxes on eggs and two in my large kennels with chicks. I didn’t really have anywhere to put the sitting ones.

Might want to dedicate one of those kennels to a broody breaker

 

[lomine]

Might want to dedicate one of those kennels to a broody breaker

Haha, I actually made a broody jail out of one of those plant/seedling plastic ‘greenhouse’ shelf units and chicken wire. It can hold up to four birds. I decided no more new broodies.

 

[deepbluesea]

Sorry you have to deal with this kind of thing too. Have you decided what to do with your trouble maker?

I'm with you--I'm going to cull her. She's beautiful and lays like a champ, but at this point, it's best for the flock.

 

[Mrs. K]

Once you pull a bird like this and see the peace in your flock, literally feel the tension go, you are a bit quicker the next time.

 

[deepbluesea]

Mission accomplished! I called the woman who'd taken Lulu/Lou, my lavender x orpington cockerel, and she's going to take her. I explained the jerkiness factor, but she keeps about 50 chickens, and a bunch of turkeys, geese and guineas, so she said they'd work it out. I'm bringing her over tomorrow. Relief is in sight!

 

[lomine]

I wanted to give an update, especially for those who suggested separating her for a while. I left the trouble maker in broody jail for about two weeks. Part was to break her broodiness and part was to keep her separated from the flock to see how she would do afterwards. She went right back to being head hen and her pushy ways. The entire time she was in broody jail I didn't have a broken egg but two days after letting her out there was one and a few after that. One day I watched her chase all the hens out of one set of nest boxes (has three boxes) only to go lay in a completely different section. She was butchered along with my extra cockerels and another hen that had never laid a single egg last weekend. She even pecked me hard on the arm the night before when I was taking her off the roost to put in a cage.

Since then the flock has been peaceful. I know it's partly because of the lack of cockerels but there is also no more nest box fighting. Interestingly, two pullets who didn't get to raise chicks because of her have gone broody again. I've decided to give them another chance since she is gone. They will be separated when it gets closer to hatch time.

 

[aart]

Good for you @lomine!!
Today I cooked a hen that was culled from flock due to nest messin', along with another that was a serial thin shell layer. Things have been so much calmer since they were removed a month ago...and they were both delicious.
Not to get rid of the 6 cockerels out there.....a couple more weeks to deal with that, and luckily they are too bad yet at 13wo.