MJ's little flock

[Grammy60]

Good evening everyone

I so enjoy your breakfast\tea pictures ❤

 

[Shadrach]

We got to dinber time yesterday and again Ivy had not left the nest. So I lifted her down again. There were no eggs under her. Here's a photo of her still in her trance. A few minutes later she'd woken up and gone to eat and drink.

It's not good that she doesn't feed, water and bathe herself.

Should I leave her be to encourage her to be attentive to her hunger and thirst? View attachment 2344352

View attachment 2344352

I think I might try to leave her for a couple of days and see what happens.
I've had some hens sit for three days straight before they got of the nest.
Tack recently sat for three days and then hunger I assume made her search for food. If hse hadn't I would not have found her.

 

[Shadrach]

Just a word about that. I was chatting with my breeder about the whole broody thing because the BRs were driving me nuts that 1st year & she said each time you get them off the nest & allow them back on they reset their broody clock so it can actually go much longer. Someone may like to correct me on that because I haven't ever gone that way again.

I don't think there's any truth in what this breeder told you.
As you know, I've had a lot of broody hens. I usually take them off their nest at dusk, but sometimes I do it in the day.
What happens here, day style or night style (off nest and onto roost bar and shut in for night),
is they do go back to the nest and will sit on an empty nest for a while. But, so far, all have given up as long as there are no eggs in the nest. A couple have sat after eviction and waited until they, or another hen lays an egg in the nest. In this case, they stay broody and sit.
To be sure of discouraging a broody hen from sitting, I've found removing the eggs and destroying the nest (strip out nest box) works for 95% and for the other 5% confinement in my house for two or three days.

 

[Shadrach]

Here's the little one, having some breakfast this morning. I lifted her off the nest and she took a long time to come out of her trance, best part of 20 minutes. But once she was active, she drank, ate, pooped and bathed before going back. I'll lift her off the nest again at dinner time.

View attachment 2346153

A tip for trance breaking; feed her along with the other hens and not on her own.

 

[Shadrach]

Wow. Not that I think the trance is a good thing... I actually think it's dangerous ~ but a lot of mine do it.

I believe all hens trance when sitting. Some snap out of it easier then others.

 

[Labchick10]

July 8

The date Ivy became a lap chicken

View attachment 2232636

She is beautiful!

 

[RoyalChick]

She is beautiful!

So lovely!

 

[MaryJanet]

I think I might try to leave her for a couple of days and see what happens.
I've had some hens sit for three days straight before they got of the nest.
Tack recently sat for three days and then hunger I assume made her search for food. If hse hadn't I would not have found her.

Oh! I'll do that Shadrach, thanks.

It helps that I know precisely where she sits.

 

[MaryJanet]

A tip for trance breaking; feed her along with the other hens and not on her own.

Ok, good, I had been doing that until yesterday when the pecking was so overwhelming, I shut the three other hens in the henhouse with their food while Ivy poked around the yard unmolested.

I'm going to follow your advice about leaving her to sit for three days or until she eats. I was very worried about the 40 hour stretch she did at first and was afraid she would weaken and starve. But now I know that's not unusual.

 

[MaryJanet]

She is beautiful!

She's a very beautiful and endearing hen one day there will be little ones for her to boss around and then she won't be lowest in the pecking order any more.

Tell me about your chickens @Labchick10