Pseudo-Broody Young Hen: Is that a thing?

[HoopyFrood]

I put vinyl flooring on top of nesting boxes and then my poop hammock touches the vinyl and catches all the poop there. They sleep above the nesting boxes with the poop hammock to catch the poop.

Relative merits of the design aside (a very interesting idea BTW) I just have to say this thread was worth it just to have someone utter the phrase "poop hammock."

 

[HoopyFrood]

And I supposed I should offer an actual topic epilogue, too

We did indeed make it a point to check on her (and the other production red who started doing the same, and even more odd things) every 30-60 minutes... to get them used to the feel of being checked. Her lingering was prominent for about a month, then diminished.

Today she will occasionally linger if there are other eggs to incubate, but that is the exception, not the rule. She is definitely not broody. The other red still does linger in the box frequently, but I also don't think she's broody (more details will go into the thread I started for her). Both reds just seem to prefer the coziness of the nest box and so will tend to hang out in there a little bit, where none of the others do.

Winter is lingering and spring is struggling right now. But when we do get bouts of good weather the reds won't spend ANY unnecessary time in the nest boxes. They LOVE sunshine and the outdoors! On the nice days they keep their nest box time as limited as possible.

 

[aart]

Nice wrap up.

The other red still does linger in the box frequently, but I also don't think she's broody

I have several 'loungers' that seem to spend an inordinate amount of time hanging out in nest before and after laying that egg.

 

[HoopyFrood]

Nice wrap up.

I have several 'loungers' that seem to spend an inordinate amount of time hanging out in nest before and after laying that egg.

Congratulations! You have just christened a new chicken keeping term: "loungers." I will definitely be letting the girls know that's what they are.

Wow that AND "poop hammocks"... I hereby declare this thread a success!

 

[trufadog]

Relative merits of the design aside (a very interesting idea BTW) I just have to say this thread was worth it just to have someone utter the phrase "poop hammock."

I'm going to add to what I wrote: It actually was her first egg, because, she, the Americauna, in fact lays whitish green (very close to white) eggs instead of the pinkish brown. She was sitting on someone else's egg. She then left the nesting box,went back in later into a different box and laid the whitish pale very pale green egg. But, the poop hammock is still a success!
(I added that because you liked the word poop hammock!)