This I messed up her schedule

[nes]

Henny has been acting funny since the turkeys showed up. She's in her nest-box most of the day, but once you rouse her (either physically pick her up or wave food in front of her face) she'll get up, and act completely normal. She'll eat and drink and go outside for a bit and then return to her nest box after I've left. She's not sitting on any eggs but she is making happy chicken noises (that sort of purring sound).

She's also stopped laying. She's been pretty regular the 3 weeks we've had her (2 days on, 1 day off) but no eggs for almost a week now.

The turkeys are in the chicken coop and they've got a heat lamp which is quite bright, and I think I may have messed up Henneys schedule.

Penny is still laying/behaving as normal.

Any suggestions?

 

[tammye]

can you use a red light, it's alittle less bright

 

[karimw]

I assume they are baby turkeys? Maybe they have inspired her to go broody

 

[Sandy16]

It sounds like she is going broody. We have 2 hens who are currently broody and they will eat/drink when I pull them out of the nest boxes, then go right back. They are not laying eggs right now either....thank goodness we have 4 more who are! I don't want to have to buy store eggs ever again!

 

[nes]

Quote:
I considered that! but we also recently bought baby chicks and that didn't do a thing for her

Maybe she's just confused?

She definitely seems broody, but not all that determined, I can get her off the nest pretty easily without much of a fight, then again she isn't sitting on anything. (and our Roo is too young so I don't have anything for her to sit on).

Should I stick some 4 week old Cochins under her and see if that works?

Tammye - yes, I've got one in the coop, I didn't think the light was going to bother the adults this much :\\
(it is VERY bright in there at night)

 

[nes]

Okay now I really don't know what is going on

.

Henny either laid in her nest then went into Penny's nest box to sit on nothing, or they just plain switched (which is strange, they each have their own box & seem pretty happy about that).

Maybe Henny just got tired of sitting in her box?
Or she's really really confused about what she's supposed to be doing...