analyticalblonde
Crowing
My girl, Wizzygig, who is an Ameraucana, has gone broody 3 times in the past 7 weeks. Into the Broody Buster the first time for 3 nights, despite a very vocal protest, then let out on the fourth day. Things went back to normal; only going into the nest box to lay. 1 1/2 weeks later, she went broody again. Back into the Broody Buster, more vocal protests, for 4 nights this time, let out on the fifth day. Same again...back to normal; laying again. One week passes with normalcy, then went broody again! I put her back into the Broody Buster yesterday - clearly very upset! and I told my husband that I thought with all of this broody breaking, I thought she may go mad or at least her temperament might get altered in a bad way - so I told him about previous posts that I have done regarding my broody hens which many suggested I simply get some fertile eggs and let her go for it. He agreed in that this constant breaking is stressful for him, me, and Wizzygig. While I went to pick up fertile eggs this morning, my DH changed the Broody Buster into a space she could settle down into when I returned with these eggs.
After putting the eggs on one of the Excelsior pads I use for the nest boxes, I place her in with the eggs...She didn't make any noise but just stared at the eggs and didn't settle in on them. But she was inside where the eggs were.
I checked on her about an hour later - the Excelsior pad was kicked up like she had "prepared" it but the eggs had been pushed off of the pad AND she was pacing back and forth in front of her Brooder Nesting cage. Obviously, making her low, "cluck", "cluck", "cluck" but at least not making her normal, very vocal protests when in the cage as a Broody Buster.
I just went out again to check on her...pacing back and forth in the front of the cage like she's going mad/crazy, not showing any interest on sitting on the eggs, still "cluck, cluck, clucking" in her low tone.
I do know she is broody; I've gone down this road with her a couple of times as well as with another one of my girls (thank God, not at the same time!)...on the nest for two days & nights straight. When approached she would growl, all of her feathers would puff straight out all over her body and would peck at my hand when I put my hand by her.
I know she wants to get to the nest box that is her favorite so she can just brood there but that is not an option now.
I'm at my wits end because I just don't know what to do...
After putting the eggs on one of the Excelsior pads I use for the nest boxes, I place her in with the eggs...She didn't make any noise but just stared at the eggs and didn't settle in on them. But she was inside where the eggs were.
I checked on her about an hour later - the Excelsior pad was kicked up like she had "prepared" it but the eggs had been pushed off of the pad AND she was pacing back and forth in front of her Brooder Nesting cage. Obviously, making her low, "cluck", "cluck", "cluck" but at least not making her normal, very vocal protests when in the cage as a Broody Buster.
I just went out again to check on her...pacing back and forth in the front of the cage like she's going mad/crazy, not showing any interest on sitting on the eggs, still "cluck, cluck, clucking" in her low tone.
I do know she is broody; I've gone down this road with her a couple of times as well as with another one of my girls (thank God, not at the same time!)...on the nest for two days & nights straight. When approached she would growl, all of her feathers would puff straight out all over her body and would peck at my hand when I put my hand by her.
I know she wants to get to the nest box that is her favorite so she can just brood there but that is not an option now.
I'm at my wits end because I just don't know what to do...