ZOMG she's gone broody. (right?) Questions!

[Nyxish]

These are dumb n00b questions, i'm sorry.

i have 5 hens (Buff orphs) and 3 guineas who share a coop and run, seem to do general well, tho my one male guinea (Luke) is starting to pick on my hens and just be a general all around dick to everyone. But that's beside the point. There is no rooster (aside from Luke who's a jackass and unlikely to breed the hens) My coop has two nesting boxes that are honestly way too big, but The Babies all have decided to share a nest spot in the corner of one of the nesting boxes, and until now that has all been just fine. Even Pipkin the Screaming Moron (female guinea) shares the nest and seems happy with it.

Now... one of the hens, Harriot, has always been a bit snarky... but this week she started puffing up and fluffing out her ruff feathers and kind of grumbling back in her throat all the time. Now she is constantly on the nest and wines and growls (i had no idea a hen could growl!!) and puffs up and pecks at me and grumbles when i collect eggs. i had to push Harriot off the nest today so Blanche could lay her egg (ok: i'm pretty sure B would have managed if i had not been there, but i was at that moment and it as a nice day so H really needed to get out for something to eat and some fresh air before it started pouring again.).


Ok. so... as a n00b to the chicken psyche... will Harriot go ...unbroody? is this a phase? How long does it last? Will they all go thru this? Do i need to worry about her not getting enough to eat or drink and make sure she has something available on the nest? How do i support her (aside from not telling her she is just ADORABLE

when she is trying very hard to be fierce and scary)?

 

[sheaviance1]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=487028

The second post on this thread tells how one BYCer breaks her broodies. If you don't have a roo, nothing will come of her being broody except weight loss, malnutrition, lack of eggs, so for your sake and hers, i would break her. Unless, you want chicks, then I would order some hatching eggs and let her sit.

 

[Nyxish]

Ah - ok. That's what i was worried about. i do take the eggs away every day, but as they share a nest they are replenishing the egg supply every day too. Sounds like it's just time to move her to the separate apartment pen in the coop so she can't even see the nest.

Thank you!