I now have no doubt that Smoke is broody.
Smoke didn’t lay yesterday so she went into her favourite middle nest box first thing this morning as I expected. She was making the, chuff chuff, broody sound as she went in. An hour later she was still in there. I decided to leave her for two hours and then lift her out. Spangle was also in and out of this nest box causing Smoke to shout at her.
After two hours I lifted Smoke out and there were two eggs. Her own bigger, round, egg and Spangle’s narrower, darker, egg.
I put Smoke on the patio and she sat with her tail raised up. She made no attempt to move when suddenly the two silky girls attacked her. They pecked her and pulled at her with their beaks which sent her running. This wasn’t nice to see and I haven’t seen a broody girl get this treatment before.
Smoke did a big broody poop then perched in the sun and preened alongside the silky girls surprisingly enough. After half an hour she returned to the nest box.
I lifted her out again and put her in the run this time. Once again she just sat in the same position until Sienna and Dandelion lightly pecked at her and sent her on her way. Fifteen minutes later she was back in the nest box.
I decided to leave her be as it’s going to be impossible for me to break the broody girls with nine seramas in the flock. I can’t close the nest boxes in case other girls need to lay. This year I am just going to have to let it take it’s course.
Smoke in the nest box with her tail raised up
Smoke on the patio with her tail in a v shape
Smoke and Spangle’s eggs
I can’t believe I have the first broody before they have even all started laying. Smoke is the best layer too. She has laid thirty three eggs so far since she started in December.
In the summer I will try to dissuade Ebony and Flame from going broody as last summer it only took the removal of their eggs to do this. Speckles has never gone broody. The seramas I will just leave to their own devises apart from lifting them out peiodically to take a break. There should be enough girls laying not to matter if some of them take a break.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
Oh dear!! You’d think they’d have the sense not to go broody in this weather!! :-0xx
It does seem a crazy time of year to go broody!
We had four eggs again today, the same four as the day before yesterday, with no eggs yesterday. I am expecting this to be Smoke’s last egg for now though as she is definitely broody. I turfed her out of the nest box for the bedtime corn and expect to have to move her to the perch in the chicken shed tonight. xx
Another very pretty girl.
She is pretty and she is definitely broody. I had to lift her from the nest box and put her on the perch in the chicken shed at bedtime. Even on the perch she had her tail raised up. Oh well, first amigo to lay and first amigo to go broody.
You’ve answered the question I asked in relation to your last post – I should have read everything first! It is not unusual for other hens to launch some form of attack on a broody – I have just lifted Butterscotchg off the nest half an hour ago and immediately 2 other, not normlly dominant, hens pecked her: she quickly came out of her sstate of suspended animation!
That is exactly how it is. Smoke would be in the state of suspended animation (great term for it) and then a few pecks would send her on her way.