Howdy, y'all! I trust at least one or two of you have noticed I went awol for a while. My daughter had an emergency C-section (nine weeks early, Isaac is still in the hospital and doing well for having underdeveloped lungs -- any prayers and good thoughts and vibes greatly appreciated) and an ex went really nuts and creepy on me, so I haven't been doing much on the net for a while! I have a lot to catch up on, poultry and livestock-wise.
So, on to Miss Jane and Miss Elizabeth -- I need some reassurance! They're doing just fine, though they still won't let me pick them up and pet them. The problem is, Miss Elizabeth has gone broody. It's the only time I get to pet her, and I think it upsets her rather than soothes her. But I pick her up out of the nest box and take the egg, and she goes and eats like there's no tomorrow, and starts the whole thing over again the next day. This has been going on for a week.
First question: am I addressing the broodiness correctly?
Second question: Miss Jane has not laid an egg since Miss E went broody. Should I be worried about her?
Third question: I explained to Miss E that, since we don't have a rooster, there is no way she can make that egg turn into a chick. Since I explained it, SHE HAS BEEN GETTING UP AT THE CRACK OF DAWN AND CROWING!!! Is my hen insane?
More on Misses Jane and Elizabeth, and an explanation
She may be providing herself with a roo........counterproductive-n-all, but...
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Can_a_chicken_change_its_gender
No your not insane. It happens. If you want to break the broody you may need to make her uncomfortable though. Like a wire bottom cage with no hay or shavings. That may work better.
WOW! you sure have been busy Brigidlily!! I am glad the baby is doing well, and mama too! Have a great day!! :)
Sorry Brigid!!! But the hen crowing is enough to make anyone think their crazy. I have never heard it before, but I have heard of it before. Thats just to weird. Glad the drama is comming to a close for you. Haystack
I could take the nesting box out of the little coop, I guess. The "floor" is hardware cloth. But they've laid eggs under the bramble bush, so I guess it wouldn't really keep her from the broodiness unless I locked her into the coop, which just doesn't appeal to me -- or my neighbors!
I do think the crowing is funny -- plus, it gets me out of bed. Poor thing; she's just really confused. Great. Psychotic chickens. One day I'll get that farm, and then they can have a rooster.
What? Oh my. What have I gotten myself into? Hens crowing and you have to deal with "broody"?
I hope your grand-baby and daughter are doing well!
If we laid everything out up front like that no one would have chickens. (just kidding) Its really the fun stuff there!! hehehe
:D
Best wishes for the new baby.. I hope all goes well. The baby is a girl or boy?? Details here please!! :)
I think it's the other way around.. Miss E is not laying and Miss J is giving Miss E the egg.
Time to buy some fertile eggs and stick um under her. :) he he he oops.. the evil enabler has shown her ugly head...
I mean, she is working so hard to be a good mommy and all... :)
Congratulations on Isaac! Prayers and best wishes for him to get home soon. :-) Hope your daughter is doing well and recovers quickly. Those emergency c-sections can really scare the dickens out of ya. Glad everyone is doing well.
{{{HUGS}}}
Sue
Duh... I missed that.. I'm sorry.
Best wishes to baby Isaac. :)
Yes, Brigidlily ---sorry I missed saying that! Best to all your babies!! DD was born early too thriving now though! You'll all be through before you know it...
I agree, the broody one is probably not laying (they usually don't) and the non-broody one is providing the eggs. Breaking the broodiness takes effort, and with my herd, I usually just let them sit on fake eggs and they come out of it themselves.
Sigh, contracts exam tomorrow. Back to studying. Sorry to hear about the creepy ex. Shudder...
Ah, interesting. Yesterday I got home and went out to the hen yard and they were both in the nesting box -- Miss E sitting on top of Miss J! There was an egg under Miss J, so I don't know what to think. I guess it's J laying the eggs and E thinking she has to do something about it. Maybe they're both broody. Miss E is still crowing.
The nice thing is, I do get to pick them up and I think they're beginning to trust I'm not going to hurt them. I dig through the compost and hand-feed them worms now and then, too.
A co-worker told me if a hen crows, a hurricane is coming. Double shudder.
Ewww. The weather is not unlike hurricane season, but....I think I'd rather just believe you have a conflicted hen.......
Update -- they're BOTH broody. No eggs, just broody hens. I think Miss Elizabeth is trying to hatch Miss Jane -- they both get in the nesting box, J on the bottom, and just sit there. Hopefully they will come out of this soon. The last few days I've had to pick them up and put them on the ground to eat (which they did with wild abandon) but this morning they hopped out on their own. It's so funny to see them ruffle out their feathers to get cool -- they have to be achingly hot all cuddled in there together.
The one nice thing is they'll sit there and I can pet them! I'm hoping they'll get used to my touch and won't keep so much distance after this.
I love those girls!!!
Want some fertile eggs to stick under them? Dmail me.. :)
NO!!! Dadgum Chicken Fairy puppet!!!
Once I get the farm, we can talk.
LOL, figures! I just broke two out of 4 broody girls. 2 of them have been broody since December. They have hatched a total of about 40 eggs. hehehe well, they have to earn their keep some how. I gave one broody to my dad for further hatching purposes and I have one more that needs to straighten up. I love to pet them while they were on the nests. I always feed them breed too. They actually looked forward to my visits. hehehe They would look over as I came in. They never minded me looking under them either. Have fun with it! ;)
LOL Missed it by this much LOL
When my hens are broody they puff themselves up and make a huge fuss when approached! Perhaps because I always take them off the nest. Really quite funny!
I have one broody girl sitting on a heap of eggs and one that hatched out 6 lil chickies last weekend. It's so nice not running a heat lamp and letting mama do all the work!! Are you sure you don't want a couple lil ones running around?! heehee!
See? I'm not the only evil enabler.. LOL
hehehe...:-)
YOU'RE ALL CLAIRE'S PAWNS!!!
lol!!
What? How did I get involved here? I'm just an innocent bystander...
I'm an independent enabler I'll have you know! LOL I am guilty of seeing that window open.. :)
And Claire is NEVER an innocent bystander!!! Cannot IMAGINE your standing by and LETTING it out that you could contain yourself long enough to stand by and watch. (mumblefumblejumble sooner see Claire with 6 human children than see her refrain from enabling... canNOT imagine...) Chartreuse and fuschia!!! where'sthatpic.....
Claire... innocent... it makes the mind numb to put those words in proximity...
LMBO innocent maybe, bystander (doubt it)
Shocked, I am.....just shocked by these baseless accusations! Why, I'm not even NEAR Texas, so how could I possibly be anything but innocent?
{{{lifts chin and looks out the window in her best attempt at looking insulted}}}
Oops, transmission incoming from barnyard HQ....must go.....
I missed this.. but I'm sorry Claire.. I have to go with the majority here..
Would that be transmission from the baby monitor? Inquiring minds want to know..
Oh nooooo...She is recieving transmissions from her barnyard animals??? What have we talked about with the goggles and mind meld. Someone needs to get in there and save her. Allien life forms are transmitting mind control.. She IS innocent, she is just under the control of the barnyard animals...ohhhh stop the madness.
lolol!!
brigidilly, I was forced to show you this pic. Momma hen made me do it!
Claire? Are you there? LOL I'm a poet..
Sandy, that pic is priceless! Go get em!
I am here. Never fear.
Hosting parents, limited computer time. :-)
Gotcha Thankz...
Y'all are just cruel showing me pictures like that. One day I'll have my farm and then I can join in the cruelty toward some other wannabe farmer and that will rock.