My Semi-Broody Lady

[chickenjen]

I just have to share because I find this lady to be quite the class clown.

Each morning I go down to collect the morning eggs and when I open the door, the same lady is always in one of the nesting boxes on a pile of eggs. She will pop her head out as if to say "I am in this one today" and just stay huddled on all the eggs in the box. I will put my hand under her, wiggle her a little, she will stand up, I get the eggs, she will look under herself to see that I really did take them, then off she goes for the rest of the day!

At first, I thought it was just her maybe laying an egg but it has been going on for 4 or 5 days now and I guess she has just taken to being the "keeper of the eggs"

Soon as my leg bands get here, I am gonna tag her as a good "momma" and hope it sticks!

 

[gritsar]

Sounds to me like she's considering going broody. I have one trying to make the big step to motherhood right now myself.
She may just be one of those that is more easily bothered by being interrupted than others. Least she's not pecking you.

 

[Sissy]

My ladies were taking a vacation
for the last 2 months now they started to try\\
to out lay each other.. they are really taking care of business.
If a hen goes broody do you take her off the nest?
or keep taking the eggs away.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Depends, do you have fertile eggs for her? Do you want to hatch chicks?
If not, you have to break her. If you do want her to hatch out chicks, you let her do what mother nature is telling her to do.

 

[Sissy]

gritsar thanks..... I have been taking the eggs away.
but had the idea that if I moved her away from the nest
I maybe would be hurting her in some way..
I learn something new everyday...

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Yeah, take the eggs away and take her out of the nest. If she insists on sitting on an empty nest and is not getting up to eat, drink and relieve herself, then you might have to take it a step further by putting her in a cage with no nesting materials, no bedding at all until she comes out of broody mode.

 

[Sissy]

gritsar Imay have to do just that .
cage with no nesting
materials.
Going to read up on broody chx.
thanks again..

 

[chickenjen]

Sounds to me like she's considering going broody.

That is what we were thinking so she will be logged as a "momma". She is a doll and one of my sweetest ones.

Least she's not pecking you.

Nope, she does not peck me. I go in with leather gloves after another took a chunk out of my finger. YOUCH!

And if they start to get to pecky, I just untie my shoe laces and they are entertained!​

 

[Mahonri]

Semi broody.. isn't that like being kinda pregnant?

 

[ClairedeLune]

Quote:
LOL!
My cochin went "semi-broody", too. When I went in to collect eggs each afternoon, she was there, but once I booted her out (narrow nestbox), she didn't go back in. But, Cochins are prone to broodiness.