I'M SO EGGCITED!!! First Broody Hen!

[MROO]

OHMAGOSH! I went out to put our flock to bed and little Pepper - the sweetest of our girls - hopped up on the roosting shelf and started growling - I kid you not - growling at me! She then fluffed herself up as big as her 20 ounces could go, tucked her "chin" down low into her ruff and gave me the proverbial "stink-eye." I quickly sent my daughter into the house for the three fresh (2 hours-old) eggs we had just collected and added them to the three Pepper was sitting on already. I wish I had recorded the look she gave me just before she settled back down on her makeshift nest. If looks could kill, I'd be three inches high and smoldering, right now!

There's a problem with the nest, though. The shelf Pepper selected as a nursery sits nearly four feet off the ground - much too high to safely hatch chicks. The coop is large enough to hold our broody box, a small cabinet that opens into a medium sized dog crate. Can I safely move her and her eggs without frightening her off them? They're Nankin Bantams - critically endangered, according to the Livestock Conservancy - and I really don't want to take any unnecessary chances with them.

OhMaGosh! Did I mention that I'm excited? Maybe a little?!

 

[fur-mum]

Congrats! I've got a silkie that just started brooding on Monday. She's still in the main coop, but I plan to move her when I get something set up on the ground that the dogs can't get to. Maybe that would work for you?
Again, CONGRATS!

 

[dunnmom]

Congrats! Yay! Yeah, you'll need to get her a better spot. If she's commited to the eggs, you should be able to move her without a problem.

 

[dunnmom]

Lots of folks move a broody at night and shut her in with the eggs for 24 hrs. I did not do any of that and my hen did fine.

 

[MROO]

I'll move her first thing tomorrow morning! It should actually work out well, as we just finished a secondary coop and run as a bachelor pad for our extra Nankin cockerels. We can leave the other hens and their roos in the big, main coop so Pepper can have someone to growl at through the wire!

 

[MROO]

Sigh ... Two days later, Pepper met me at the coop door. No more broody. I took the eggs to my Biology-teacher sister, who put them in her classroom's bator. We'll see what happens, but I'm not too terribly optimistic. It's now two weeks later and Pepper's at it again. This time I refuse to get excited. We'll just have to wait and see if she "takes," this time ...

 

[cobra3073]

Is Pepper still at it today?

I will send you some Pictures of my extended “run” in a couple of days. The First Lady says I keep adding to the “mansion” even though I want have the “residents” until the first week of June...obviously, she does not understand this “sickness!” LOL

BT

 

[PouleChick]

Oh what a shame she changed her mind! I am new to all this ans only had my first broody 6 weeks ago (I'm now on my 3rd LOL!). Someone on here said to wait a week to check they are serious before putting the real eggs and that has worked well for me. Maybe do that with her (trying the moving if needed in the wait period as well). Good luck!

 

[MROO]

wait a week to check they are serious before putting the real eggs and that has worked well for me.

I didn't put any eggs under Pepper either time; she just commandeered the favorite communal egg-drop. The fact that the favored depository happens to be a high roosting shelf, not the nice, cozy, safe nesting boxes designed for that very purpose never popped into her beady-birdy little mind. The little stinker!
If she's still at by the time my son finishes our new "bachelor pad," I'll try to move her lower. But for now, I'm not touching her! So far, so good!

 

[MROO]

Is Pepper still at it today?

I will send you some Pictures of my extended “run” in a couple of days. The First Lady says I keep adding to the “mansion” even though I want have the “residents” until the first week of June...obviously, she does not understand this “sickness!” LOL
BT

It's Day 3, and so far, so good. Pepper hopped down when my daughter went out to feed, but hopped right back up and took on the Stink-Eye immediately upon finishing. In fact, DD (Dear Daughter) said Pepper upped it a level from yesterday. We have officially moved from stink-eye to stank-eye. Apparently that's like moving from Def-Con 4 to Def-Con 3.

And if the First Lady is already concerned about embellishments, it's probably not a good idea to explain "Chicken Math" to her, yet. That's how our nine turned into 25 + eggs. You sure I can't interest you in a half-dozen friendly Sebrights ... ? (giggle, giggle, cough ...)