Mean Girls!!

[whippoorwill0328]

So, I am a first time broody mom to a first time broody. It took me a day to figure out she was broody, at first I thought she may be egg bound, but it finally clicked as to what was going on. Not before she endured me checking for an egg

​

. All the other girls were giving her a little bit of a hard time that day. Now they are downright mean, like she is a brand new flock member. I was out with them today cleaning the coop and she got off her eggs to go eat/drink/bathe and they wouldn't let her have the food or have any peace. I tried moving her when she first started sitting and she was having none of it. I am at a loss now if I should try and move her again or just wait until the chicks are (hopefully) here and then move her. I could block them from getting to her in the house, but that would block her exit out as well and I am not real keen on bringing food and water into the their house. To top it off, I checked the coop I was going to move her to previously and where I am planning on moving momma and babies, and it has two wasp nests in it that I need to take care of and then clean all the poison back out of so they aren't exposed.

I know I am anthropomorphizing chickens, but mean girls suck. All the other ladies should be so impressed she is sitting in this ridiculous humidity and GA heat. So all my complaining and whining - try moving her again now or wait for babies?? She would not settle down at all before. It was late dusk, but not completely dark before, so maybe that was my error? We are about a week from hatch, so I really don't want to break her on accident by moving her. I also want her to have access to food and water and to be able to dust bathe without being picked on. Any input is appreciated...

 

[sourland]

If she refused to be moved before, she will probably have the same reaction if you try to move her now. Kill the wasps, partition her from the flock a couple of days before hatch, and then move her and the chicks to the second coop.

 

[Spartan22]

This is what I did with my other broody, since one of the first hatch baby chick from the other broody fell off and got eaten while I was at work when other hen tried to lay eggs in her nest. You have to sequester her at night in the dark before she hatch any eggs if there are mean hens, egg casualty or chick casualty could happen, that was a quick made up little area under one of the the poop boards.

 

[whippoorwill0328]

If she refused to be moved before, she will probably have the same reaction if you try to move her now. Kill the wasps, partition her from the flock a couple of days before hatch, and then move her and the chicks to the second coop.

Will do - like lockdown for a broody! Thank you!! I can lock her down and put water/food in for a few days as opposed to a week - I don't want to invite pests - then move momma and chicks - thanks!!! Why did I not think through these steps?! I swear I have preggo brain with the poor chick.

 

[whippoorwill0328]

View attachment 1416145 This is what I did with my other broody, since one of the first hatch baby chick from the other broody fell off and got eaten while I was at work when other hen tried to lay eggs in her nest. You have to sequester her at night in the dark before she hatch any eggs if there are mean hens, egg casualty or chick casualty could happen, that was a quick made up little area under one of the the poop boards.

My coop is set up differently, but I can still sequester and will. Thank you for your input! I think I was less nervous delivering twins than I am dealing with an animal that knows what it is doing! Maybe because I knew my body knew what to do...just like she does...sigh.

 

[Spartan22]

My coop is set up differently, but I can still sequester and will. Thank you for your input! I think I was less nervous delivering twins than I am dealing with an animal that knows what it is doing! Maybe because I knew my body knew what to do...just like she does...sigh.

Ha ha, I know right? I made up 3 of those in my coop since I got 4 broodies, I don’t know what to do for the 4th broody yet since am running out of room. But I want all of them to be seen by the entire flock so will be easy to reintegrate

 

[whippoorwill0328]

4??!!!! Wow! Good luck with all of your broodies! I would love to follow their progress. I just want to smack all the lazy non broody hens and explain to them what Ms Buttercup is doing. Like birds and the bees forum for the birds. But...if they all went broody I would have no eggs. I would like it to "catch" to the other BO, but then I would be good since I don't currently have a rooster and hatch from shipped eggs.

 

[Spartan22]

Possibly 5 or 6 today, I just went out to check for more eggs (almost dark) 2 of the hens that was sitting late afternoon was still in the nests but no eggs. I have read that broodiness is contagious, funny thing is I had chicken for 5 yrs and none ever been broody except a leghorn but broke it in 3 days until this year. Started from a year old Australorps, followed by a 3 yr old RIR, Then another 2 one year old Australorps and Black Copper Marans. Now my Olive Egger is barely a year and she might be broody starting today and another Australorps started to sit. That’s kind of crazy.

 

[whippoorwill0328]

Thank you @Spartan22. Your advice is working so far! Mama and the 2 hatched are doing well blocked off. Giving time for third egg to hatch before I move.