We’ve been having problems with the feather children. They’ve been very tricksy. First Frodo, the Australorp, went broody and then Sam, the Orpington, thought, “Hey, that looks fun; I’m going to join you!” Good one, Sam.
Frodo went in the broody breaker cage and is now out, looking better than when she went in and laying once again. It’s so nice to see her out and about with her buddies instead of stubbornly sitting on eggs, real or imagined, in the nest box. After she came out it was Sam’s turn for the broody breaker cage. I’ve just let her out with the others this afternoon, hoping her broodiness is broken.
It is most inconvenient having not one, but two hens go broody so soon. It makes extra work having to pick them up out of the nesting box so they’ll eat, drink, poop, stretch and clean themselves, having to isolate one from the others and having to maintain two lots of food and water, not to mention the reduction in egg production. It’s not nice putting them in the broody breaker but letting them raise chicks isn’t an option at the moment as I don’t have the time to look after feather babies. I wanted one of the hens to go broody some day so I could raise some chicks, but that would be when I had another chicken run so we could raise some chickens for the table and we would have two flocks of happy chickens and maybe a rainbow unicorn too. Hmm. I am trying not to play favourites but Strider has major brownie points right now. She’s hardly missed a day with her eggs. I’m sure she thinks the others are bonkers. I’m inclined to agree…
Wild Hope Homestead 