I have established a routine with my angry bird now. At night I am leaving all the coops closed. This means when the girls come down from the roosts at first light which is six o’clock at the moment and I go out to them at seven o’clock, I know that Topaz has had an hour out.
I throw her some sunflower hearts to make sure she eats something and open the coops to allow the other girls to lay if they need to and of course Topaz goes straight back in her favourite coop.
Before I came up with this tactic Topaz would already be in the coop at seven o’clock and I wouldn’t have known if she went straight in and so felt compelled to get her again.
I then get her out again after lunch time and make sure she feeds and poops. I haven’t seen her go to the water which worries me so I have been dropping chopped grapes in front of her so that she gets some sugar and some moisture.
She stays out for about fifteen minutes and always has a quick scratch which at least gives her a little exercise.
Next I get her out an hour before the girls perch up at bedtime and close the coops. This means she has to stay out.
I think she is getting used to the routine because although she is difficult to budge and pecks viciously, she has stopped shouting at the top of her voice, which is a vast improvement. She does make a low broody rhythmic sound but that is so much better than shouting.
This afternoon my husband took some photos of me getting Topaz out of the nest box. It’s difficult to show properly but we thought it gave the gist of it. I use a fishing net as I need to push her quite firmly as she resists and feel the net won’t hurt her. She pecks the whole time and I can’t get my hands near her.
I start to ease Topaz across the nest box with the net
Topaz pecks at the stick
Topaz is almost out
Topaz is out
Topaz holds her wings out
Topaz eats and goes for a scratch and poops
I think this routine is the best I can do for her. She isn’t upsetting the other girls but they won’t mess with her either. When she is out she chases them out of her way. She is still active when out and looks in good condition and at least it is now cool during the day. I think that if I didn’t get her out she would just stay in there all day and my main concern is to keep her healthy.
Click here to see the history of my flock.
I just love the topaz is out photo . I did chuckle.
As for drinking … Try the apple bobbing trick but with grapes instead . Put the chopped grapes in a bit of water then as she is getting the grapes she is drinking at the same time . I did that with shadow.
By the way I now have 4 chickens all laying in the dog kennel and crossing their legs waiting yo get in . 🙂
What a good idea, I will try that tomorrow. She looks fine but I still worry.
What are they like! But I am not surprised though. I don’t think anything surprises me with these girls.
I know they are a handful. But there’s just something so wonderful about an angry broody. They are just so determined and protective. They really do make me smile.
I’ve been fortunate in that my Buff’s are not too angry and don’t peck much. Now when my Jersey Giant went broody, OMG. I seriously thought I might lose a few fingers to that bird.
Hang in there.
I know that she thinks I am interfering with her hatching her (non existent) babies. I never quite get how they don’t see the lack of eggs as a drawback!
I think she would have my fingers off. Later when I got her out before bedtime she was jumping up at me and trying to land a peck. She was also running at the other girls keeping them well away from her. I never thought a chook could get so angry.