Laying behaviour

[chris]

Must add, she'll do ANYTHING to get away from you.. really does not like to be touched, let alone handled at the moment.

[Suechooks]

It's errrrr........female hormones I'm afraid Chris! And you should know about those!

[Glutton4...]

Great pic - she looks like a Turkey!

[polo]

Great picture - I think that says it all really! Good luck. One of my rescued ladies was broody when we got her but the move shocked her out of it I think.

I wondering of she goes broody again this year whether I should hatch some eggs.....

Polo

[chris]

Ah, ok I did my usual male thing- prodded her and said get over it she took it as well as my wife does.

[Glutton4...]

Ah, ok I did my usual male thing- prodded her and said get over it she took it as well as my wife does.

LOL - Mr. G laughed at that too!

[RichmondHens]

It is the Law of Sod that you should have a broody hen and not want one Chris, where I have none and really want one right now. Had been collecting eggs in anticipation as one of my bantams went broody but then changed her mind.

[Glutton4...]

One of my oldies has come back into lay - she's the egg-eater. If she only ate her own, it wouldn't be so bad. Have yet to catch her at it, but her days are numbered...

[chris]

Shame you're not closer RH, would have been a good learning experience for me!

I felt bad earlier, went out and chucked her out of the coop - she squat straight away and popped an egg out - oops

[Flummery]

I felt bad earlier, went out and chucked her out of the coop - she squat straight away and popped an egg out - oops

That's happened to me too Chris (well, to my chicken!). You do feel a bit mean. She used to ruffle her hackles and do what I assume is chicken swearing! Hope she doesn't go broody again this season but you never know. She's a Ranger, but they do occasionally.

[chris]

I didn't expect her to as she was laying on the floor (I think the other two have forced her out of sitting in the nest all day, so they can lay). Still, I keep giggling about it, such a funny thing really - I bet she was really annoyed with me hehe

[Nicos]

now that is strange- lying an egg...

Mine take about 5 days to come back into lay when they've been broody and finally gone back to behaving 'normally'

from your piccie though, she certainly looked broody....

( there's female hormones for you!)

[chris]

hehe, day #4 and she's still popping eggs out... bizare. She was on the coop floor as night, so picked her up and put her on the perch and she stayed in the same position. Almost as if she was lame. But chucked her out this morning and she was running away fine.

Bit annoyed I'm at work now so I can't check on her and take her out if need be :| Can't close the coop as I don't want theother one laying in the garden (been there, done that!!)

edit: how long does a broody stage normally last? A few weeks?

[RichmondHens]

3 - 4 weeks normally, but sometimes longer depending on the hen. Sometimes you can break them with a sin bin but if you don't have the facility for this then you will just have to wait for nature to take its course.

[chris]

Aye, I do acutally.. I play ice hockey - I'll take her downt he rink with me. It's b*stard freezing down there, so she can sit in the sin bin there - I'll be able to catch up with her and prod her when its my turn to visit it hehe

I have some spare mesh, so I'm thinking of creating one of those raised thingies (is that what you're on about?) so sit sits on mesh, and air can circulate her botty or something. I've read it in a book somewhere, shall have to find it again and see how it's done.