Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[thistlewick]

Welp.

I get home late from a choral rehearsal (Vaughan Williams’ Sea Symphony, go vaguely-Welsh composers!!) way down yonder in Brevard NC, and the girls were locked in the run, not yet ready for the coop. Lil and Buffy were together, looking worried, and I couldn’t find Trudy until I heard a strange growling from the Nestera coop. She’d spent two hours laying this morning, and sure enough, she was in a nest box.

I removed the lid to see if she was ok, and when I felt underneath her, she bit me! Lil and Buffy were hovering outside the coop door, apparently reluctant to go in. But Trudy left the nest box, so I went inside to wait for full darkness.

When I went back 20 minutes later, she was back on the nest, growling, and Lil and Buffy were huddled at the far ends of the perches (we’re talking less than 30” away) staring at her. I locked them up and left them.

They are six months old tomorrow. The new pullets come Tuesday.

This is what I get for asking about broodies! Noooooooooooooooooooo


Edit: freakin’ iPhone autocorrupt

bwahahah

My 19 week old Ayam Ketawa is broody. They are a broody breed, JEESH (I didn't know)

Well, I'm not going to break her. I could let her sit on like 2 and see what happens, she's wild af and not that much of a domesticated chicken, it would be interesting to see what she did.


Honestly now that I think about her body, she can't really sit on 2 regular sized eggs, it will have to be one. She is very small.

If she stays one more night on the nest, I guess I'll let her do it as an experiment.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Trudy stayed on the nest last night, or at least she was there when we opened the coop this morning, but she’s out and about now. Maybe she’s not fully going yet, or maybe she’s chicken ADHD and can’t keep her tiny brain on anything for more than a few hours.

 

[fuzzi]

When my hens go broody they aren't devoted to the process for the first 2-4 days. Then they settle down and become determined.

 

[fuzzi]

C planted early. They went to the trouble of buying covers for what they planted. These covers aren't much good in my view but at least it's a step in the right direction. Then we didn't see C at the field doing anything to manage their plot for weeks and just about everything bolted.
It seems pick what one plants according to the weather and the rate of growth isn't something that some at the field have quite grasped.
What a waste.View attachment 4174959View attachment 4174960View attachment 4174961
A lot of these plants could have been saved with a bit of attention and regular watering.

I recognize a pattern in C.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

When my hens go broody they aren't devoted to the process for the first 2-4 days. Then they settle down and become determined.

I don’t remember if you usually break them (whew, I hate that term) or let them brood, but if you break them, is it worth starting in these first days? Same methods?

 

[fuzzi]

I don’t remember if you usually break them (whew, I hate that term) or let them brood, but if you break them, is it worth starting in these first days? Same methods?

In the past I have broken broodiness immediately, usually by repeatedly removing them from the nest, and taking away the faux eggs. If the broody hen is in the box at night I move her to the roost.

 

[Perris]

if you break them, is it worth starting in these first days? Same methods?

the sooner you start the easier it is, usually.

 

[RoyalChick]

the sooner you start the easier it is, usually.

I know everyone says that, but do you have experience of that? It doesn't seem to be true with Tassels.

 

[Perris]

I know everyone says that, but do you have experience of that? It doesn't seem to be true with Tassels.

it's my impression, but I haven't actually analysed my records, which may be a bit inadequate for the purpose to boot. Certainly some hens here are easier to break than others. Maria can be very stubborn. As she was on this occasion I recall, back in 2019, when she was in her prime I suppose.

Now that she's been there, done that, a few times, she doesn't flip every year, and is more easily dissuaded when she does.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

After a couple of hours out, she's back on the nest. When I reached to touch her, she went into Full Fluff Mode, especially her tail and hackles!

Very impressive!

I took the back off the coop and the lid off the nest box and removed the ceramic eggs. Can't do a lot more until the dog crate comes tomorrow. @Perris, have you ever tried to block access to the nest boxes in a Nestera? I'm not sure how I would pull that off.