- Jun 14, 2010
- 3
- 0
- 7
I've read much information here on the site about what to do with a broody hen, but, since this is my first time dealing with the issue, I would appreciate it if someone would validate my behavior description as being correctly tagged as "brooding". I'm pretty confident in my assessment, but she's my favorite lady. I just want to be more sure.
She's the smallest, has the most personality, friendliest, and is clearly the "leader". We do not have any roosters. We have three hens, two boxes, and one box never gets used for some reason. The other afternoon (Saturday?), I went out to give them an afternoon treat of lettuce, and she was on the box. Tried to peck me. I let her be. I noticed a few tail feathers scattered about the yard.
She was on the box this morning. She was on the box this evening. I put on gloves, talked to her nicely, and got pecked about 10 times. She raised her tail feathers really high in the box.
After removing her, she screamed bloody murder. Mad as all get out. I picked her up and talked too her soothingly. I carefully palpated her abdomen, and there was no mass in there. I put her down. She took a sip of water, then pooped a normal looking (green, with a streak of white) poop, talking the entire time. She had four eggs under her that I removed. She appeared to be moving around normally and immediately went back to her box. I removed her again, she screamed bloody murder again, the other two hens were saying something back to her from the roost. I set her down. She went back to her box. I moved the two boxes around, with her in the "usual" one.
1. Did I just describe a brooding hen?
2. Having read the many suggestions, should I get something for her to sit on or cage her with food and water? If it's brooding, I'm more concerned about the other two being able to lay than anything else, since no one seems to like the "other" box.
Many, many thanks in advance. So sorry for what I will no doubt look back on as a silly question.
She's the smallest, has the most personality, friendliest, and is clearly the "leader". We do not have any roosters. We have three hens, two boxes, and one box never gets used for some reason. The other afternoon (Saturday?), I went out to give them an afternoon treat of lettuce, and she was on the box. Tried to peck me. I let her be. I noticed a few tail feathers scattered about the yard.
She was on the box this morning. She was on the box this evening. I put on gloves, talked to her nicely, and got pecked about 10 times. She raised her tail feathers really high in the box.
After removing her, she screamed bloody murder. Mad as all get out. I picked her up and talked too her soothingly. I carefully palpated her abdomen, and there was no mass in there. I put her down. She took a sip of water, then pooped a normal looking (green, with a streak of white) poop, talking the entire time. She had four eggs under her that I removed. She appeared to be moving around normally and immediately went back to her box. I removed her again, she screamed bloody murder again, the other two hens were saying something back to her from the roost. I set her down. She went back to her box. I moved the two boxes around, with her in the "usual" one.
1. Did I just describe a brooding hen?
2. Having read the many suggestions, should I get something for her to sit on or cage her with food and water? If it's brooding, I'm more concerned about the other two being able to lay than anything else, since no one seems to like the "other" box.
Many, many thanks in advance. So sorry for what I will no doubt look back on as a silly question.