Yesterday morning when I went out to the girls Smoke was out in the run. After just over a week she has come out of being broody. Vanilla who went broody the same day is still going strong.
Hurray! I thought, only one broody now but no it was not to be. That same day Jasmine went broody. We seem destined to have more than one broody at a time. Jasmine has laid twelve eggs in three weeks since her last broody break.
Today it is looking like Flame may be broody too. Flame laid her egg in the afternoon yesterday and has been in the corner of the chicken shed since this morning. She wouldn’t have been ready to lay as early as that.
I think Smoke has come out of it quicker because I close the nest boxes at the end of the day so she gets a couple of hours out in the run before bedtime. As Vanilla settles in the shed there is nothing I can do for her but lift her to the perch at bedtime. Vanilla also snaffles Flame’s eggs to sit on until I remove them.
Jasmine also settles in the shed but in the corner by the pop hole. Flame is settled with Vanilla. I have got used to Vanilla pecking me as it doesn’t hurt and she only pecks a couple of times. Jasmine is different and is full of anger and keeps on pecking me. Flame also pecks me and her pecks do hurt so she is difficult to move.
I am beginning to think that if there are going to be lots of broody girls at the same time I may have to just leave them to it, just making sure that they come out at least once a day.
An angry, broody, Jasmine
Broody Vanilla with a possibly broody Flame
Flame has laid fifty four eggs since starting this year at the end of February. She is a very good layer.
By the afternoon I decided to get all three girls out. I took the little girls out and then used gardening gloves to lift Flame out. She had laid and had been sitting on her egg.
Flame rushed around going from the mash I had put on the patio to the the top of the little shelter and back again at speed. Flame stood tall and shook herself and made a lot of noise. She rushed back to the mash again.
The next time I checked both Flame and Vanilla were settled back in their corner and Jasmine was settled back by the pop hole. Sigh!
Vanilla and Flame settled back in the corner again
In other news the hormones had kicked in with Speckles again and before she had got an egg laid she was back to drinking copious amounts of water again. There was a patch of wet, sloppy, poop under her roost spot again this morning.
It seems that this is definitely hormone related and I am not sure she will even lay an egg this time round as she has given up gong to the nest box. I am not bothered about having any eggs from her and she looks happy and fine in every other way so I am not worried about her.
There is never a dull moment in this chicken run!
Click here to see the history of my flock.
Jasmine looks EXTREMELY angry! 🙂 xx
Oh she is! I used to be a bit of a wimp when Vanilla pecked me and I remember you saying that it doesn’t hurt when these little girls peck so I have manned up and got used to it but Jasmine goes for me determinedly with full on anger. I am able to manage that now though but not Flame. Her pecks are also determined and hard so it’s the gloves for me when it comes to her.
Who would have thought a silky girl could be so angry! They look so sweet, most of the time. Jasmine is the first silky girl that has been angry with me. Any other little girl who goes through the pop hole also gets growled at. xx
54 egg so far, well done Flame.
Flame is an amazing layer. Egg production has now dropped for a while.
Flame is indeed a really good layer, but it only needs 2 or 3 broodies to make a dent in egg production. I think you’re wise to use gloves; all I would say is that the quicker you are able to lift the broody, the better for both you and her. I often lift with one hand, whilst using the other over her head, and it’s done in 5 seconds. They are persistent, however. Lavande has been broody for 3 weeks now and has been joined by Butterscotch and Blackie. Cotton and Ginger are still sharing 4 robust welsummer bantam chicks!
Flame is an excellent layer and you are quite right about the drop in egg production. A short while ago we were able to give eggs away and now we are struggling to get enough for ourselves. With the loss of two girls (although Sienna wasn’t laying) and then four girls broody because Smoke and Jasmine won’t lay for a while that only leaves four seramas and Ebony and the remaining seramas are not good layers. Smoke and Vanilla were the two best layers and laid the biggest serama eggs.
Three weeks broody is a long time! I am glad that the welsummer bantam chicks are doing well.