I have my first broody hen and since there's no rooster I've had to take her out of the box everyday. It's kind of funny how she really acts like she's telling me off and saying every swear word you can think of. I really have to get a video of her. But in the meantime I'll narrate.
I wait until the last hen has laid her egg which my broody (named Grumpy) steals for her brood. Then I pick her up and walk her to the furthest point in my yard. When I put her down that's when she starts her tirade. It begins with just a few clucks walking around me. Then she lets out a big scream as though someone was pecking at her and begins to run towards the coop. Half way to the coop she'll stop, shake her head and start clucking again as she pecks at the ground. Within a few seconds she'd yell out another scream and then start running back to me. When she reaches where I'm standing she starts clucking even louder and screams even louder as though I'm abusing her in some way. This last for about a minute or so and then she walks away from me as she's giving the alarm call. When she finally feels like she is done telling me off then she runs all the way back to the coop to sit on an empty nest. To her surprise, the door of the coop has been closed by me and that just puts her over the edge. Now she is spitting nails. As she clucks a different swear word every other second she runs back and forth from me to the coop in total disbelief that I could be so cruel to her. She'll then stair at the coop door and start yelling at it as though she needs to lay an egg. Then more screaming and clucking. After about 10 minutes of this she finally runs to where the rest of the flock has gathered and almost narrates how she has been so cruelly treated by me. Of course the other chickens are in their own world and barely notice her problem. Within a few minutes she seems to be fine but I know throughout the day I'll hear a scream from grumpy and find her wanting to swear at me some more.
Although I know I could put an end to this with a few ice cubes in her clutch I don't mind letting her take a break from laying. As a red sex-link she has given me an egg every day for the past year since first starting to lay. I'm hoping this pause will mean that she will lay longer and not poop out so fast. I don't euthanize my chickens just because they aren't as productive so spreading out her eggs over her life is fine with me.
I'd love to hear your feedback.
Cheers,
Jay
I wait until the last hen has laid her egg which my broody (named Grumpy) steals for her brood. Then I pick her up and walk her to the furthest point in my yard. When I put her down that's when she starts her tirade. It begins with just a few clucks walking around me. Then she lets out a big scream as though someone was pecking at her and begins to run towards the coop. Half way to the coop she'll stop, shake her head and start clucking again as she pecks at the ground. Within a few seconds she'd yell out another scream and then start running back to me. When she reaches where I'm standing she starts clucking even louder and screams even louder as though I'm abusing her in some way. This last for about a minute or so and then she walks away from me as she's giving the alarm call. When she finally feels like she is done telling me off then she runs all the way back to the coop to sit on an empty nest. To her surprise, the door of the coop has been closed by me and that just puts her over the edge. Now she is spitting nails. As she clucks a different swear word every other second she runs back and forth from me to the coop in total disbelief that I could be so cruel to her. She'll then stair at the coop door and start yelling at it as though she needs to lay an egg. Then more screaming and clucking. After about 10 minutes of this she finally runs to where the rest of the flock has gathered and almost narrates how she has been so cruelly treated by me. Of course the other chickens are in their own world and barely notice her problem. Within a few minutes she seems to be fine but I know throughout the day I'll hear a scream from grumpy and find her wanting to swear at me some more.
Although I know I could put an end to this with a few ice cubes in her clutch I don't mind letting her take a break from laying. As a red sex-link she has given me an egg every day for the past year since first starting to lay. I'm hoping this pause will mean that she will lay longer and not poop out so fast. I don't euthanize my chickens just because they aren't as productive so spreading out her eggs over her life is fine with me.
I'd love to hear your feedback.
Cheers,
Jay
