Well, after last weekends post about our broody hen we decided to put Blondie in solitary confinement for a couple of days.
We decided to use our brooder (Version #2) and put it in the garage where the temperature this time of year is still pretty cool. (We’ve had a couple of laughs about using the brooder for the broody hen!) She went in on Sunday afternoon and was not happy about it. She made all kinds of noise and then threw an absolute fit! She knocked over her food and water and cut her comb a bit where it meets her beak. Silly chicken. Once she exhausted herself from her fit, she chilled out and tried to get comfortable (not an easy feat on wire mesh).
We kept her in there until Wednesday evening, checking on her a few times a day and hoping the experience would break her broodiness. Then, when we got home last night we transferred her back into the coop. At first she just wandered around and made a bunch of noise. Then, she headed straight for the nesting boxes. Yep. Bitch. Tool Lady chased her out a few times and she finally made her way the roost with all her sisters.
But then, this morning, where do you think she was? Yep, right back in the nesting box with another hen! See her laying behind the hen peeking out at me (there’s also one of our newest Newbies in the back trying to figure out what all the fuss is about)? Poor hen is just trying to poop out an egg and Blondie just can’t wait to pounce on it! Ugh! Looks like we just might have to cull her after all.
Also, in addition to all her antics and their affect on egg production (way down, I think due to the stress she’s putting on the other hens), she stinks! This is gross but, because she’s not pooping very often, when she does, it is absolutely vile! I’m not grossed out by too many things, but man, I never imagined chicken shit could be so incredibly horrendous! Poor thing…I know it’s just instinct to want to hatch some babies, but holy hell!
Curses comments!!! 😀 Love it!!! (sobbing)
Curses comments!!! 😀 Love it!!! (sobbing)
Curses comments!!! 😀 Love it!!! (sobbing)
Ewww, gross — oh the things I guess we have to look forward too! I probably missed a post somewhere, but have you given her fake eggs to sit it out on?
Yeah…really gross. We haven’t given her fake eggs to sit on yet because we’ve been trying not to encourage the behavior because she’s so mean 🙁 I guess it’s another option though. Thanks for the reminder.
Unless she’s taking up valuable hen box real estate, why not just let nature run it’s course?Or try again with the solitary confinement, perhaps?
It seems drastic to me to cull her for wanting to hatch eggs. I’ve got a broody in the coop right now. I couldn’t break her no matter what I did, so I gave up trying. She sits in one nest box and steals other chickens’ eggs, and every night I take them away, and she growls and then goes about her business. She has not affected egg production at all, so I’m not sure why your one hen would.
Yes, you are right about the poo, though. They do stink. But honestly, you haven’t smelled anything until you’ve had a broody goose let it fly right in front of your feet after she’s been sitting a week without getting up. Talk about stench!
We will try again with the solitary for sure. We’ve been taking the eggs form her each day and taking her out of the nesting boxes but that’s not working either. Of course we don’t want to cull her unnecessarily but she’s mean. That’s the kicker. She’s constantly trying to peck at us and she’s getting meaner by the day to the other hens as well. Culling will be our last resort, but it is definitely on the list of options.
Ummm…broody goose poop sounds absolutely disgusting! No thank you! 😉