North Carolina

[EmtheFishLady]

Sorry to hear about the kitty.

 

[suburbanchickymama]

HELP!!!!!!!!! Esme, the French Black Copper Marans who lays me an egg pretty much every day is on her nesting box right now!!! She's never tried to sleep in it before. I hadn't gotten an egg yet today so is she just laying a late night egg? I rubbed her and she made a little noise and put her head down. I'm so worried about her!!! What should I do? I'll go back and check on her in a half an hour or so and see what she's up to but not sure if there is anything else I should do or be looking for????

 

[Jloeffler]

Quote:
One of Cinnamon Queens does that every once I awhile for no particular reason. Maybe she's too cool on the perch? The first time it freaked me out, but as long as I get an answering coo when I call to her, I let her be. I hope yours is fine and it's just a (as my DH says) hormonal thing!

 

[suburbanchickymama]

I hope that's it, JL! Someone on the Southen Poultry facebook group is suggesting she's going broody. Isn't she too young for that??? Sheeeeeesh! I'm going to head out and check on her now. Silly chickens!

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

Quote:
From you saying earlier she was plucking underfluff feathers and growling, I believe she is going broody. I have had a sultan, a d'uccle, and a silkie all go broody at 5-6 months old no sooner than they started laying, so its entirely possible.

 

[suburbanchickymama]

Wow! I had no idea. I've got lots to figure out now! I don't have a rooster but I decided going into this that I would let them hatch if they went broody. Now what kind of eggs to get???? Off to study! Thanks for the help! I'll post in the morning with an update.

 

[Jloeffler]

Good morning! It's Friiiiidaaaayyyyy!! Yay! Now I just have to survive the last day of Spirit Week and the pep Assembly and all will be good! Made it through gender switch day, which is actually pretty funny as many of the junior and senior boys get WAY into it

, just makes it hard to teach anything the same week.

SCM: I hope your girl is okay this morning! My little JB who's eggs hatched Tues. Has only been laying for a couple of months! What kind of eggs are you thinking about getting? She's been a good mamma so far, but I found her sitting on two Cochin eggs laid yesterday AND her chicks last night when I got home from work! I thought they would stop the egg craze once theirs hatched?!? If you do give her eggs, come on over to the Broody Hen Hatch A Long Informational Thread! We're always looking to hear about more broody mommas!

Em: I love your avatar pic

. I collect illustrated copies of both Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. I even have a set from Harrods in London. Very cool!

 

[BHep]

Quote:

You have a BROODY

And yes she can go broody so young.

The only large fowl birds laying steady here, that are pure are Black Austrolorps. And of course my EEs, but I don't call them a pure bird, just a green/blue egg layer.

The others are bantams. Everyone else is either shut down, running free range (mixed) or broody.

It is a mad house here

But if you are looking for Austrolorps.............

 

[NewHomesteader2010]

Quote:

You have a BROODY

And yes she can go broody so young.

The only large fowl birds laying steady here, that are pure are Black Austrolorps. And of course my EEs, but I don't call them a pure bird, just a green/blue egg layer.

The others are bantams. Everyone else is either shut down, running free range (mixed) or broody.

It is a mad house here

But if you are looking for Austrolorps.............

OOhh...Beth...I may be interested if you are going to be getting rid of some!!

You know I can't resist getting MORE girls...hehe perhaps our poor lonely fellow will actually get to do his rooster thing!!

On a side note, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH for your kind words. It has indeed been hard as this passing was so sudden. I am having "survivor's guilt" as I was not the one to take her to the hospital nor there when she passed. DD had a doctor's apt at the same time that Dh was able to get the appointment. The vet said to wait the 2 hrs (waiting on doctor & then the drive) for us to get there (of course I was in Knightdale and the hospital was in Clayton) would be a painful, suffering 2 hours as she was literally drowning and her heart was slowly stopping. No clear idea WHY this happened to a cat so young (she was barely 5) but it is suspected that it's because she was the runt of the litter (and an actual "identical" twin - except the "twin" was the more dominant one and thus bigger). If nature had been allowed to run it's course naturally she would never have survived, so I am thankful I had 5 good years with her. Funny story: Wesley (my lonely cat now) was a feral kitten rescue and has outlived THREE female shelter adoptees...makes you wonder!! LOL DH asked me if I wanted a kitten for my birthday next month (trying to help me "heal") then looked at me and said, "too soon?" Got to love a guy who is trying so hard to make it "easier". Anyway, thank you again for all your support. She wasn't one of my chicks, but she was still my "baby girl" (I say that because SHE chose me - literally climbed into my shirt when we were looking at adopting a new kitten for my mother...lol she never would go near my mother) I think it's just as hard, if not harder on Wesley, as all last night, he was looking for her. If I leave the room, he looks for me and then goes looking & calling for her.

See, further proof Beth that I NEED more chickens....to help me heal!!

yeah, that's it...to help me heal!!

Have a great Friday everyone!!

You all are the best!!

 

[suburbanchickymama]

Quote:

You have a BROODY

And yes she can go broody so young.

The only large fowl birds laying steady here, that are pure are Black Austrolorps. And of course my EEs, but I don't call them a pure bird, just a green/blue egg layer.

The others are bantams. Everyone else is either shut down, running free range (mixed) or broody.

It is a mad house here

But if you are looking for Austrolorps.............

Yep, you called it! I'm such a dork that I didn't think of it and panicked instead! I think I went from worried and terrified, to finding out she's broody and stressed, to really excited in a matter of minutes! I was up til 1 reading up on what to do and looking at eggs!

So Jl, that is the question - what to get??? I have thought about Austrolorps, Bhep! Especially since I'm still not getting many eggs! But then I was also kinda looking at this as a bonus and that maybe I should get something really impractical and fun instead - like Polish or Silkies??? I know Gavin is super opposed to having Silkies with LF, but you have them together, right Bhep? That's another thing I was reading lots about last night and it sounds like lots of people do it with success??

Esme is my dominant hen so I'm not worried about them as chicks as long as she turns out to be a good mother, but I dunno!!! Input needed and appreciated!!!!!!!!!!

NH - I agree that more chickens is exactly what you need!

Oh yeah, and I'm thinking about using a big wire dog crate with chicken wire around it for my broody box - sound good?? I think it'll fit in the coop anyway!