So three of my hens have gone broody. One (blue sussex) is in a separate nest sitting on eggs about to hatch. She can access the flock. All is well. Two others are sharing the main nest box and I haven't tried to break them because I was keeping them as backup broodies in case something went wrong with my other broody. They were also sitting on some extra eggs which have now been moved. These two are a naked neck and a light sussex. All bantams.
The NN is sweet natured until she goes broody and then the psychosis sets in! She is aggressive to me when putting my hand in the nest, and when she gets off the nest for a poop/food/water break, she runs around clucking loudly like a banshee on speed. This weird activity seems to trigger my rooster and he has been chasing her away from the food and pecking her on the head. He is usually the sweetest boy, often chasing a hen to mate but gives up quickly if she gives him the cold shoulder. I've never seen him peck a hen before or treat her like an intruder.
The light sussex brooding the same nest as the NN doesn't cluck like a crazy bird when she takes a break (nor the blue sussex) and the rooster just leaves them alone.
The other thing is that the two sussexes have been brooding for about a month but the NN only for the past week or two, so she hasn't been as invisible to the flock for as long.
I'm thinking about segregating the rooster for a few days and closing the main nest box so the two hens break their brood, then letting him rejoin when the NN stops being such a noisy nutcase. But with chicks hatching under the blue sussex in a day or two, and needing the separate space for her and her brood for a couple of weeks, I'm short of separate space to put him, plus I suspect he will crow all day in distress at being separated from his girls and I don't want to create that extra noise for my neighbours.
I have three spaces: 1. small covered run (broody and chicks) 2. larger open run and 3. free range area. I usually allow the whole flock into the free range area when I have chicks because they can see them through wire from there, then I integrate them at 2 weeks old with their mother. The open run is on the other side of the coop separated from the free range area by wire fencing. Open run and covered run cannot see each other.
What do you think? Any other suggestions?
The NN is sweet natured until she goes broody and then the psychosis sets in! She is aggressive to me when putting my hand in the nest, and when she gets off the nest for a poop/food/water break, she runs around clucking loudly like a banshee on speed. This weird activity seems to trigger my rooster and he has been chasing her away from the food and pecking her on the head. He is usually the sweetest boy, often chasing a hen to mate but gives up quickly if she gives him the cold shoulder. I've never seen him peck a hen before or treat her like an intruder.
The light sussex brooding the same nest as the NN doesn't cluck like a crazy bird when she takes a break (nor the blue sussex) and the rooster just leaves them alone.
The other thing is that the two sussexes have been brooding for about a month but the NN only for the past week or two, so she hasn't been as invisible to the flock for as long.
I'm thinking about segregating the rooster for a few days and closing the main nest box so the two hens break their brood, then letting him rejoin when the NN stops being such a noisy nutcase. But with chicks hatching under the blue sussex in a day or two, and needing the separate space for her and her brood for a couple of weeks, I'm short of separate space to put him, plus I suspect he will crow all day in distress at being separated from his girls and I don't want to create that extra noise for my neighbours.
I have three spaces: 1. small covered run (broody and chicks) 2. larger open run and 3. free range area. I usually allow the whole flock into the free range area when I have chicks because they can see them through wire from there, then I integrate them at 2 weeks old with their mother. The open run is on the other side of the coop separated from the free range area by wire fencing. Open run and covered run cannot see each other.
What do you think? Any other suggestions?
