MJ's little flock

[MaryJanet]

This is something that I struggled with all summer last year. I did a lot of research before getting chickens, but didn't realize that mine would be so prone to broodiness. I have four hens that go broody regularly. One was broody five times last summer!
I started out crating my first broody and it was awful, I have to say. She was not thrilled with the crate during the day, but she really freaked out at night. I moved her into the coop inside the crate, but she was alarm calling and smashing her head through the bars over and over. I was really worried and finally told my husband that I was going to check on her and if she was still agitated, I would release her. She had settled by then, so I left her, but in the morning I saw that she had scabs on her earlobes from trying to push her head through the bars. I felt horrible!
The third time that she as broody last summer, I tried a new technique. I would carry her out to our smaller (185 square foot) run in the morning and she would stay there throughout the day. She had a dust bath, food and water, fresh greens, but no nest. She could also interact through the fence with the other hens. In the evening, I would open the door to the coop and she would run back to her nest and spend the night there. We would repeat the same thing the next day. After nine days, she stopped being broody.
My last hen to go broody last fall, was my broodiest girl and I just let her be. It was late September and many of the girls weren't laying, so there wasn't as much fighting over nests. She sat all the way through for three weeks and I still ended up crating her for one night to get her to switch from being broody. In general, the more experience I got, the more likely I was to let the hens be.
It's sometimes hard to know what to do. I want the best for my hens and sometimes what is best for one is not the same for another.

My experience has been very similar except I didn't do any crating.

Transitioning Peggy last week was a breeze. She'd been sitting for about four weeks with quite good self care, except at the very start. I closed the door to the nest and she decided to try a different nest. For three nights, after dark i relocated her to the roost and on the fourth day she didn't bother sitting and roosted by herself. It was a very gentle process, especially considering she's a very grumpy hen.

But it wasn't always so easy. I had to become trusting of the hens and that took time.

 

[MaryJanet]

A cellar! I'm so envious!

It's worn really well for a pine floor. I thought pine is a fairly soft wood? I suppose it varies within the genus.
It's a lovely colour and grain. You really have an eye for this.

I got the trapdoor open without damaging the finish!

 

[RoyalChick]

Yes, that's the door to the cellar. It's a little gummed up from the finish but I'm loosening it carefully with a stanley knife. It's freeing up and so far I haven't damaged the surface.

The floor guy also installed the flush fit cellar door pull for me.

It's pine. Mostly 100 years old, but the boards from the wall to the edge of the trapdoor are only 20. It's stained to a bespoke shade. I couldn't tell you the recipe although I know it was 60-30-10 mix of different stains.

Wow. Nice job. I had to go back to the picture to even notice it!

 

[RoyalChick]

I got the trapdoor open without damaging the finish!

View attachment 2977510

You won’t be wanting to go down those after a couple of drinks!

 

[MaryJanet]

But! I'm down to one egg.

That means I may have to go out for breakfast next Sunday morning (what a hardship!)

 

[MaryJanet]

You won’t be wanting to go down those after a couple of drinks!

Wanting to go down there at all is a very rare feeling indeed

One of these days I'll have to sort through all the stuff down there! I'd like to make use of it for wine one day but the irony is I'm not much of a wine drinker.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

I got the trapdoor open without damaging the finish!

View attachment 2977510

That is so cool! It's like a secret room. I looooove secret rooms!

Oh, and well done getting it separated from the rest of the floor MJ.

 

[MaryJanet]

That is so cool! It's like a secret room. I looooove secret rooms!

Oh, and well done getting it separated from the rest of the floor MJ.

The stanley knife won the day! Nice and gentle, over and over.

You know, it's very quiet down there. It could a reading nook.

 

[Aussie-Chookmum]

Wanting to go down there at all is a very rare feeling indeed

One of these days I'll have to sort through all the stuff down there! I'd like to make use of it for wine one day but the irony is I'm not much of a wine drinker.

Use it as a cold store room for excess eggs and cheese and stuff.

Or make it into a secret library....

 

[MaryJanet]

Secret library for the win! Keeping books in the cellar would free up a lot of space in the study! Maybe even enough for a proper reading chair!