Left to right-Ellie (wants to be a mama, but doesn't want to put in the time), Izzie (commited to motherhood,but just can't say no to Ellie's intrusion-although she is distressed by having to share) and Phoebe (into her second week of a three week gestation and whom nobody bothers). See below...Tuesday, September 15, 2009
The Maternity Ward
Left to right-Ellie (wants to be a mama, but doesn't want to put in the time), Izzie (commited to motherhood,but just can't say no to Ellie's intrusion-although she is distressed by having to share) and Phoebe (into her second week of a three week gestation and whom nobody bothers). See below...
Hormones in the Hen House
Just days after my last post,..."peace in the hen house...yada,yada..." things have gotten very complicated with our teenagers.
For a few weeks two of our girls have been acting strangely. Both Izzie and Ellie have been making odd little squawks, have been more skittish than friendly, and at times walk around like fluffed up golden basketballs. My research into this behavior says this is an indication of "broodiness". A "broody" hen is one that wants to sit and hatch babies. Broodiness has largely been bred out of production egg layers, but several breeds (including my Buff Orps) still retain this characteristic. Broodiness can be a curse if you only want a hen for fresh eggs as they stop production while broody. They will sit on a nest all day for weeks or months, waiting for chicks to hatch, even if the eggs under them are constantly removed. A broody hen can be a blessing if you want chicks, as they maintain temps and humidity better than an incubator...and no need no worry about a power failure. Plus the hen will raise the chicks and keep them warm, thus eliminating the need to keep them indoors and under lights until they feather out.
About a week into this odd behavior from Izzie and Ellie, I noticed Phoebe had not come out of the nest box all day. I gathered the eggs from under her and put her out to play. I tried this for several days, but she kept returning to the nest to sit on the golf ball. Apparently, as queen of the flock, Phoebe had decided she would be the first mama, even though she had not portrayed any broody behavior. That is our strong, decisive Phoebe. No playing around...just do it.
I ordered some eggs to put under her. Since we hatched only one Copper Marans, and all four Welsummers are pullets, I bought some of each and waited nearly a week for those eggs to arrive. Phoebe sat on her golf ball for the whole week. screeching like a cat whenever I opened the nest box to collect the other hens eggs.
Since I received more eggs than she can cover, I set half in the incubator. It will be interesting to compare hatch rates. Letting her sit seems the path of least resistance. If a hen cannot be dissuaded from "setting" by removing eggs and constantly pulling her off the nest, the only other thing to do is to isolate them in a wire bottom cage so that heat doesn't build up underneath them, for a week or more. I was not ready to do this to sweet, proud Phoebe, who just wants some babies. Sitting can be hard on hens, who only come off the nest once a day to eat, drink, and poo. I've read stories of broodies with no fertile eggs, who will sit for months, eventually starving.
Phoebe had been sitting for a week, when Izzie commandeered the other nest box. She sat in the same zen-like state as Phoebe, allowing only Ellie to join her and lay her eggs with her. This was a problem for Sadie and Violet. They waited in agony for one of the nests to be vacated.
I put a cardboard box with nesting material and a golf ball in the coop, but they were having none of it. At one point Ellie must have kicked Izzie off her nest because I found Izzie scooping a golf ball out of the cardbord box using her beak and neck, onto the coop floor, wanting to sit on something.
Ellie was not a commited broody and soon abandoned the nest to free range with her pals. Izzie, however is totally dedicated, so I put some Black Copper Marans eggs under her.
I was very stressed out about the other hens not having an available and open nest box when Bill came to my rescue (as he always does). He put an addition of three more nest boxes onto the coop. It took Violet an hour of standing and looking at the occupied nests before she finally laid in the new nest. Sadie followed her lead and laid an egg right beside Violet's while I was at work.
Ellie continues to lay right beside Izzie, and I remove her eggs every afternoon. I'm hoping she'll get the hang of laying in the new nests and not go fully broody as well.
Two pregnant teenagers at once is plenty!
For a few weeks two of our girls have been acting strangely. Both Izzie and Ellie have been making odd little squawks, have been more skittish than friendly, and at times walk around like fluffed up golden basketballs. My research into this behavior says this is an indication of "broodiness". A "broody" hen is one that wants to sit and hatch babies. Broodiness has largely been bred out of production egg layers, but several breeds (including my Buff Orps) still retain this characteristic. Broodiness can be a curse if you only want a hen for fresh eggs as they stop production while broody. They will sit on a nest all day for weeks or months, waiting for chicks to hatch, even if the eggs under them are constantly removed. A broody hen can be a blessing if you want chicks, as they maintain temps and humidity better than an incubator...and no need no worry about a power failure. Plus the hen will raise the chicks and keep them warm, thus eliminating the need to keep them indoors and under lights until they feather out.
About a week into this odd behavior from Izzie and Ellie, I noticed Phoebe had not come out of the nest box all day. I gathered the eggs from under her and put her out to play. I tried this for several days, but she kept returning to the nest to sit on the golf ball. Apparently, as queen of the flock, Phoebe had decided she would be the first mama, even though she had not portrayed any broody behavior. That is our strong, decisive Phoebe. No playing around...just do it.
I ordered some eggs to put under her. Since we hatched only one Copper Marans, and all four Welsummers are pullets, I bought some of each and waited nearly a week for those eggs to arrive. Phoebe sat on her golf ball for the whole week. screeching like a cat whenever I opened the nest box to collect the other hens eggs.
Since I received more eggs than she can cover, I set half in the incubator. It will be interesting to compare hatch rates. Letting her sit seems the path of least resistance. If a hen cannot be dissuaded from "setting" by removing eggs and constantly pulling her off the nest, the only other thing to do is to isolate them in a wire bottom cage so that heat doesn't build up underneath them, for a week or more. I was not ready to do this to sweet, proud Phoebe, who just wants some babies. Sitting can be hard on hens, who only come off the nest once a day to eat, drink, and poo. I've read stories of broodies with no fertile eggs, who will sit for months, eventually starving.
Phoebe had been sitting for a week, when Izzie commandeered the other nest box. She sat in the same zen-like state as Phoebe, allowing only Ellie to join her and lay her eggs with her. This was a problem for Sadie and Violet. They waited in agony for one of the nests to be vacated.
I put a cardboard box with nesting material and a golf ball in the coop, but they were having none of it. At one point Ellie must have kicked Izzie off her nest because I found Izzie scooping a golf ball out of the cardbord box using her beak and neck, onto the coop floor, wanting to sit on something.
Ellie was not a commited broody and soon abandoned the nest to free range with her pals. Izzie, however is totally dedicated, so I put some Black Copper Marans eggs under her.
I was very stressed out about the other hens not having an available and open nest box when Bill came to my rescue (as he always does). He put an addition of three more nest boxes onto the coop. It took Violet an hour of standing and looking at the occupied nests before she finally laid in the new nest. Sadie followed her lead and laid an egg right beside Violet's while I was at work.
Ellie continues to lay right beside Izzie, and I remove her eggs every afternoon. I'm hoping she'll get the hang of laying in the new nests and not go fully broody as well.
Two pregnant teenagers at once is plenty!
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