A chicken farmer question...
NeoBlackdog
Member Posts: 17,187 ✭✭✭✭
My wife and I are new to raising chickens so I've been learning as we go along. We've got one bird that's just acting weird and I haven't been able to figure out what's going on.
This is a bird that we got as a chick in the spring. At first I thought she might be egg bound but this has been going on for about a week now. She may have laid one egg as I found one in what she's claimed as her spot. The other chickens have also laid there so I'm not positive it was hers.
I have to physically move her to get her off the 'nest'. She usually has her feathers all puffed out like she's cold but none of the other birds are doing this and it's been warm weather. When I get her off her spot she'll get down and eat and drink but as soon as she's done she hops back up in her spot. I thought maybe it was just brooding behavior but the puffed up feathers has me wondering what's goin' on.
Anybody got any ideas?
Comments
Sunday Dinner !!! 😉
Sorry I am no help at all..
Already thought of that and my wife promptly vetoed the idea! She's rather fond of her fowl feathered friends.
I gotta admit, they are kinda fun. They all seem to have their own personality traits and most of them love to be petted. They always come running out to greet us when we let them out in the AM or when it's time to put 'em to bed.
It has been a number of years since I raised chickens. I miss walking out and getting the eggs in the morning, going back in the house and cooking them up for breakfast before heading off to school...
Always heard that foxes loved chickens......
Sounds broody to me. Some will have the puffy feathers.....
Merc
Her nature is a brooder. I have had chickens for almost 20 years. When a hen gets "broody" her instinct is to brood the eggs. Just reach under her and take the eggs. Some ( I have two that will peck the hell out of you so lead with an egg carton to see how she reacts. If calm, just raise her up and gather the eggs. If she goes nuts too bad You will still get the eggs.
I had caratact surgery yestarday, the meds injected give me huge BLACK floaters so I can t really see what I type. Hope tomorrow is better but at least I dont have to do drops ever.
Well, it sounds like she's just broody. Luckily she's not on the fight when I move her so that's a positive. I guess we'll just let it play out. Sounds like they'll keep this up for about three weeks from what I've read.
Thanks guys!
Bpost, hope your eyes clear up fast for you and that your vision gets back to normal!
He can't see where his next meal is coming from.😀
not a chicken farmer or even close to being a expert but sounds like what bpost stated from my experience
I could not even guess how many times I have been pecked by the chickens or spiked by a rooster especial a broodings hen when they decide to brood, they get serious LOL
but we ( as in my wife ) has had chickens around forever it seems like . she gives them all names and we have around 20 counting the roosters currently and a few other poultry family members not counted . I have lost track of how many times my wife has said no more , than a trip to the farm store in the spring and well we increase the flock 😁
they have a coop and fenced in area but free range on our five acres majority of the time . and they love cat food and know where its set out at they come out of the coop running and first thing to the cat food stations . I have to keep th ecat food picked up or they would eat every bit
oh we do stop by the bread store out let at ;least once a month and get a cart or two load of bread for about 7 dollars a cart load and they love it
did I mention I do not like having chickens 😐️ I much rather buy a dozen eggs than having to take care of the chickens 🤨 but I know my wife enjoys them as pets so I just go with the flow . could be worse she could have had a fondness for horses 😁
bpost.....the first few days are really weird. I had lots of big floaters for a few days and then it started to settle down. I had issues with them for a month or so, but they were smaller and less noticeable as time rolled on..
Just do what the Doc said and take it easy for a while....Hope your experience turns out as good as mine ended up !
But it took some time to get there !
Puffy and growly she wants to brood
Exactly the answer. A couple of our chickens were brooding. You have to put them out in the yard and close door to the house to get them to stop.
Bpost is dead on, I raised chickens off and on for 20 years and that is it. End of story. She is a good hen, nature gave her a extra dose of nature.
What you have there, is a Liberal chicken. It will lay claim to what is not hers, and is always looking for a free meal. Lazy and not willing to work for what is really hers!!!! All it does is lay around, waiting for the next hand me out. Send that chicken to Washington DC or California.
Just wait tell they start molting and you have feathers everywhere, first time I saw that I thought how did a critter get into the coop and kill em... And yes they all have personalities and I also sometimes just sit and watch them.