Emerald had a short broody moment

A few days ago Emerald had been in the nest box for much longer than usual. I wondered if she was feeling broody.

Emerald in the nest box

She has a manic gleam in her eye.  After checking on her several times I decided to lift her out of the nest box.

Underneath her were two eggs, her own egg and Peaches egg. I lifted her up and set her down in the run. I wish I had had my camera with me at that moment. The look on her face was priceless. She looked as if she was wondering how on earth she had landed there, my husband described her look as “shell shocked”.

Next time I checked on her she was in the nest box again. She has never done this before and I decided that as all the girls had laid (except Toffee who isn’t laying at the moment) that I would close up the nest boxes. I hoped that I could nip this in the bud as I don’t really want another broody and Emerald is our best layer at the moment.

I thought I would keep an eye on her and open the nest box again if she looked stressed because she is prone to being a bit manic at times.

She went out into the run and started picking up bits of shavings and twigs and flicking them on her back. It was so funny because she would toss them over her shoulder so violently that they would miss and fall over the other side of her. A few of the smaller bits landed on her but as fast she tossed more on some fell off.

It was difficult to catch the actual moment she tossed the bits so these photos are the best I could get. You can just see some small bits on her back.

Emerald is flicking bits on her back

Most of the bits have dropped off

She tries taking bits from a different spot

I think this probably is broody behaviour but when I next checked on her she was scratching around in the run as usual. I opened the nest boxes up again and she didn’t return to them so I think the moment had passed.

Emerald did sit in the nest box briefly the next day but didn’t lay an egg and soon gave up and was back out in the run again. Hopefully her very brief broody moment has passed. Emerald is a funny little character.