I have been under the weather for almost two weeks; just now recovering from whatever the he%# I had. The doctor thinks gastritis or maybe even a gall bladder attack! Whatever it was I don't want it back!!
In the middle of all that, my power went out for a day, Monk got an ear infection and I had to load him in the car to go to the vet AND Martha, my big buff orpington chicken goes broody!
For you non-chicken people, that means her nesting hormones are raging and she wants to have chicks! To be a Momma! I found her not getting off her nest at all for the whole day and even when you pushed her she wouldn't get off. I had to lift her off and take her outside.
She was very gentle and didn't peck at me. A lot of broody hens will get sort of nasty about you moving them. The first day she was sitting on two eggs (not hers.) I took her off the nest about 5 times that first and second day. Then she was sitting on nothing. They don't lay eggs when they're broody either.
I could have gotten some fertile eggs and stuck under her and let her raise a little brood but I really don't need more chickens and what if I'd get a rooster!!!!!!
Or I could get a couple day old chicks and stick under her and see if she'd accept them. Not trying that either, at least right now.
I read up on this. The first thing I am trying is to put her in a wire cage with a wire bottom so she can't nest. Supply her with food and water and let her in there.
Martha is NOT happy!!
I did that for a day and a couple nights. In the daytime I've let her out to run around with her flock but kept the door shut to the nesting boxes once I was sure the other hens had laid their eggs.
She seems to be acting very normal this evening and when I opened the pop door she didn't run in to the nest. She went in at dusk with the rest of them. So I'm hoping she is on the roost and not in the box!
I didn't look!
Shirley
If any of you have experience in this let me hear from you!!
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