That is very good news. I am glad to hear it.Good morning/evening MJ and everyone
I'm doing okay, thanks for asking. My shoulder is hurting less on most days and I can't wait to be able to do more on my own.
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That is very good news. I am glad to hear it.Good morning/evening MJ and everyone
I'm doing okay, thanks for asking. My shoulder is hurting less on most days and I can't wait to be able to do more on my own.
Seems like a very reasonable process to wean her.Well, she's sitting again but little coop is still wide open.
I think I'll start putting her on the roost tonight and I'll keep the little coop opened up for a few days. Hopefully that'll be enough to trigger her "I'm not broody" hormone.
That worked for me once. No hen ever laid in that spot again. It wasn't a real nestbox, but a cozy spot between the wall of the coop and a straw bale.9 minutes later ... well that was not as much stress as I expected
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I guess she'll go back to her nest in an hour or so. I'm tempted to mess it up while she's doing other things.
It's a little scary and apocalyptic but only at first.I have never gotten to see a bee swarm. I'm a little jealous.
I recall Shad once said hens will mess up a nest if they're done with it.That worked for me once. No hen ever laid in that spot again. It wasn't a real nestbox, but a cozy spot between the wall of the coop and a straw bale.
Birds of a feather.One of the legbars.
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The legbars group. They do mix with the other hens and even seem to quite like one or two of them but when they relax it's almost always in their group.
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Another update.Mary update. After sitting for about 30 minutes in the opened up little coop, she got up and is right now picking up a few snacks.
Teamwork!Another update.
I took the car to the mechanic and while I was gone (less than an hour), someone pulled Mary's nest apart.
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Actually when I first arrived home, Mary was on her feet and it appeared she had put herself on nest de-commissioning duty. But she sat down immediately.
Later, Ivy came by to offer advice.
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Later still, Janet took her place beside the head lifestyle coach.
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At this time, Mary is up and taking a dust bath while her friends continue the de-commissioning work.
My interventions were
Open the little coop
Carry Mary to the big coop at nightfall
And that's all. So, I feel like I've hit upon a minimal intervention approach to supporting Mary's transition out of brooding.