Over the last few days I had the feeling that Marmite was going broody. She was spending much longer in the nest box and making the clucking sound.
Last night I had to lift both Smoke and Marmite from the nest boxes at bedtime and perch them in the chicken shed.
Today I lifted both girls out of the nest box to take a break and to remove other girls’ eggs which they had been sitting on.
A pair of broodies together
You can see the angry gleam in Smoke’s eye. Marmite is a more docile girl. When I next checked on them they were together in one of the nest boxes as both the other nest boxes were occupied with girls trying to actually lay their eggs.
Broodies in the nest box together
Oh well, at least this way they only clog up one nest box. Smoke doesn’t look best pleased at sharing though.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
Get out!! I say get out!!! 🙂 xx
You can almost read them can’t you! The next time I checked Smoke had moved forward in the nest box so that was space between them. I don’t think Smoke appreciated having Marmite right next to her. xx
There is something so appealing about them when they’re broody. I know that there are many things not appealing …
I am not sure about appealing unless you put yourself in their shoes I suppose. All they care about is their hormone driven instinct to sit on eggs, any eggs, and if no eggs, just sit anyway! There is a cuteness which I try to show in my photos, but even so, it also exasperates me, at the same time. I guess it just what we accept when our beloved girls will do this and we can’t explain that they are wasting their time!
I think broody is the norm with your girls.
I think you are right. I just have to accept with these girls.
Hi Carol – I have now found, and am following, your blog. It will be fun to read about your chicken adventures! -Jenn
Hi Jenn – Welcome. As you can see sitting in the nest box for my girls isn’t to get the egg laying job done but it’s just to sit and wish they had eggs to hatch.
My girls are all bantams and mostly seramas which originate from Malaysia and are the smallest chickens in the world. They come in all feathers colours and types but they are prone to going to broody! I have seven seramas, two bantam game girls and one bantam ancona who is my oldest girl at seven years old.