Napping Nest Wars

[Ruralhideaway]

Well this is kind of comical. Yet accurate.

The usual recommendation of four hens to a nest box needs the caveat "unless you have cochins". They are very slow dramatic layers. I've watched one lay, caught her teeny egg, two hours later she's still languishing with hens stacked up scolding her wanting a turn. They aren't broody, they are lazy!

Off to plan where to put more boxes.

 

[Ruralhideaway]

Cochins are loungers, generally it's a prequel to being broody. If you watch your hens long enough you will notice hens that go broody will take longer than hens that are just getting that egg out and have no interest in being a mom.

Then I'll have little need for my incubator shortly, all 5 are slow! I didn't know they could already start going broody this young.

I do need more boxes though, the quicker birds are hopping on top of them to lay.

 

[Ruralhideaway]

I sure spoke too soon. Ones gone broody. She's sleeping in a nest box right now.

I thought maybe she just got caught late laying an egg, so I turned on the light, picked her up and put her on a roost. She stayed flat, motionless, and growled. I believe that's confirmation?

 

[rosemarythyme]

If you don't plan on having her hatch I'd just break her right away. I don't want my broodies pulling out their chest feathers and otherwise obsessing over the nest for weeks.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

My nestboxes this time of year are like clown cars too. My cochins go broody pretty quickly, and always start young, now if I could convince them to set where I want them to, I could make use of them too.

 

[Ruralhideaway]

I had bantam cochins years ago that would sit anywhere as long as I moved them at night.

 

[Izzychicky]

My chickens have a “egg laying stack” meaning they lay eggs on top of each other all annoyed because they want to lay in the SAME nesting box when 2 others are empty, then they have the “egg line” same as the first situation except they scream very loudly at the other hen till their finished and kick ‘em out

 

[Ruralhideaway]

I love watching that scene here too. But now I have to decide what to do with this broody.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Cochins are loungers, generally it's a prequel to being broody. If you watch your hens long enough you will notice hens that go broody will take longer than hens that are just getting that egg out and have no interest in being a mom.

 

[Ruralhideaway]

I'll have a couple small pens built if the weather ever breaks. So I could take advantage of that.