]A little history..I am a 62 year old in her second childhood. My mother was a farm girl and because of her stories, I have always wanted to raise a few chickens but put it off because I wasn't sure that I could handle a new hobby at my age. I already had 7 adopted ( they adopted me ) cats which I have had neutered, and 2 Yorkshire terriers, when a situation arose that made up my mind for me...
We have a long winding driveway in a rather remote country setting. A couple of months ago my husband returned from the mailbox with an announcement that there was a chicken in our yard down by the road..We checked with any neighbor who might be missing a chicken..no one. My husband said that she must have fallen from a passing truck or someone pitched her. After several days and worrying that she might get run over by a car or killed by a coyote, we decided to adopt her. Easier said than done. We made traps and lured her with food to no avail. Finally we just chased her down...poor thing.. and she flew into a swamp where I waded in and retrieved her. I'm not sure what breed she is but she is small, white and has a crossed beak...We placed her in my old fenced garden where within a week she began giving me eggs. My husband named her Henrietta..(how original is that ). Her eggs were small at first but she laid uninterrupted for 64 days before she missed a day. I decided that she looked lonely so we bought 3 young Buff Orpingtons Pullets for companions (not laying yet), building them a nice coop with a covered run opening into a fenced yard. She has accepted them but she sure bosses them around.
Now I need your expert advise. Over a week ago she started lingering longer and longer after laying her eggs. . Sometimes hours at a time. 2 days ago she sat on the nest all day but finally laid an egg. after I collected the egg, I shooed her into the yard but she kept running back to the nest. The next day no egg but she would not leave the nest, sitting with a distant stare, pulling feathers from her breast and pecking at me when I tried to put my hand in with her. After reading this forum, I am sure she has gone broody. I put some bags of last years frozen beans in her nests which deterred her for a while but after a while she would just sit on the perch in front of the nest with her bottom hanging into the nesting box. Today I have just closed the pop door to the coop. She is not waiting at the door all the time, but keeps checking back to see if it is open. She is eating and drinking.
Now my question. How will I know when she is ready to lay eggs again or just wants back in to sit on an empty nest. I hate the idea that she might be ready to lay and cannot get in to her nest.
Sorry about the novel but I do rely on the knowledge from the wealth of experience on this forum. Thanks in advance
We have a long winding driveway in a rather remote country setting. A couple of months ago my husband returned from the mailbox with an announcement that there was a chicken in our yard down by the road..We checked with any neighbor who might be missing a chicken..no one. My husband said that she must have fallen from a passing truck or someone pitched her. After several days and worrying that she might get run over by a car or killed by a coyote, we decided to adopt her. Easier said than done. We made traps and lured her with food to no avail. Finally we just chased her down...poor thing.. and she flew into a swamp where I waded in and retrieved her. I'm not sure what breed she is but she is small, white and has a crossed beak...We placed her in my old fenced garden where within a week she began giving me eggs. My husband named her Henrietta..(how original is that ). Her eggs were small at first but she laid uninterrupted for 64 days before she missed a day. I decided that she looked lonely so we bought 3 young Buff Orpingtons Pullets for companions (not laying yet), building them a nice coop with a covered run opening into a fenced yard. She has accepted them but she sure bosses them around.
Now I need your expert advise. Over a week ago she started lingering longer and longer after laying her eggs. . Sometimes hours at a time. 2 days ago she sat on the nest all day but finally laid an egg. after I collected the egg, I shooed her into the yard but she kept running back to the nest. The next day no egg but she would not leave the nest, sitting with a distant stare, pulling feathers from her breast and pecking at me when I tried to put my hand in with her. After reading this forum, I am sure she has gone broody. I put some bags of last years frozen beans in her nests which deterred her for a while but after a while she would just sit on the perch in front of the nest with her bottom hanging into the nesting box. Today I have just closed the pop door to the coop. She is not waiting at the door all the time, but keeps checking back to see if it is open. She is eating and drinking.
Now my question. How will I know when she is ready to lay eggs again or just wants back in to sit on an empty nest. I hate the idea that she might be ready to lay and cannot get in to her nest.
Sorry about the novel but I do rely on the knowledge from the wealth of experience on this forum. Thanks in advance
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