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Valkyrie

Yep - Cheyenne is definitely broody

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Just after checking up on here (thanks for that sticky), and seeing the funny photo of the poor desperate hen squashing the broody one, I went down to check. Sure enough, there she was - still puffed up and keeping Sioux's egg nice and warm. I picked her out of the box - usually she runs a mile and keeps her distance apart from after bedtime cuddles, when she is the easiest one to handle. I took her into the shade and sat down on a bench with her on my lap. She bokked away nicely and was quite happy - so was I because the chilly wind blew right up her bottom! Then I put her down and after a while she started scratching around as normal. I shall have to keep tabs now.

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Well I have taken her out a few times. The ice cube (wrapped) duly put in the prime spot. She kicked it out of the way and squatted on the other side. Not to be thwarted I wrapped up another, put cold ceramic eggs in as well.

Now my dilemma is - will that lot affect the other two girls? Also as it is a cold and windy day, if I dunk her somewhat won't that give her a chill - would it be better to wait until tomorrow when the weather is promised to be better??

When I take her to the top of the garden she does a weird impersonation of a turkey - tail up, wings outstretched and all feathers fluffed up including her neck. I am so going to have to take a photo.

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yep, she's definitely broody! The turkey impression sums it up :lol:

 

I wouldnt dunk her at the moment to be honest, its a bit too cold (I only do it in the summer). Bunging her off the nest and closing the cube/eglu and not allowing her in the nestbox at all might help, I do this to my cochin (currently broody) and she goes and sits in the garden somewhere, then everytime I see her sat moping I make her move again by pushing her up onto her feet.

 

You could try putting her in a broody pen on some ice cubes from tomorrow morning for a day and see if that works.

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Thank you Chelsea. I spent some time herding her away - I could see her thinking how to dodge me - she even looked upwards to see if she could get away with going up and over when I stood in front of the cube run door! Determined little thing! No dunking for her yet then. In the meantime I will hunt around for something that will do as a broody box for her to go in rather than upset the other two.

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Hope you can snap her out of it soon. My Light Sussex went broody for 7 weeks recently, and being at work all day there was nothing I could do but let her sit it out. I was getting worried about her because she started to look quite tatty and underweight, but she came out of it just in time. It will take ages for her feathers to grow back though, she pulled loads out of her neck and breast to line her nest - daft bird :roll:

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Yep sometimes i read about the broody hens & I think i would pop a few fertile eggs under them if I had some hens at all (cube green)GNRGNR still to arrive. I keep looking for some buff banties and if i got a broody i will be popping eggs under them. My ducks were hatched by my neighbour under a silkie hen.

 

Interesting to learn all this about chickens

indie :)

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Or else you could get some fertilised eggs.................. :D

 

:shameonu: Na ah! DD is already on that route!

 

I think if it goes on too long I will contact the breeder (have already looked on her website and she has hatching eggs available). I've always wanted a Sussex (she has buff eggs), or a Maran (she has cuckoo's). But then I would love a Croad Langshan - which she doesn't have. I then have the problem of boys - we are definitely not allowed those - even if the man up the road has an RIR rooster.

I'd rather not go down that route just yet - 3 is enough at the moment, so trying hard to resist. :think:

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Oh no, don't you start! :lol:

OH, says it would be more cost effective to have more in the cube! :shock: He likes the Pekins (partridge), as does DD. I just like anything that won't fly over the fences and hedges!

I have been looking at Lesley's sticky about hatching, so if I do, then I would need somewhere for them to be separate from the other girls for a while. Well, I have made a rabbit hutch before . . .

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Dont know about pekins under a orp :? They probably would be alright but you would have to keep an eye on them just encase she does squish one because they are tiny. She will be fine in a small wooden box with 1m covered run on the end then when they are roughly a week old you can let them out in the garden with careful supervision.

 

Good Luck

Paul :D

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You are so going to get a smack bottom, Paul! :notalk:

If I did a DIY version, it would probably be like the middle pic. I would definitely love the field that surrounded those pens!

I am still rather a novice, so I will need to read up a fair bit first. Thanks for the advice re Pekins - I hadn't taken her bulk into account, although she is half the size of the other two girls. And it is early days yet. I might break her out of it yet. With regard to my garden, well, I still have grass, but the plants (and leeks) have suffered from being trampled or eaten. Even the lavenders have had huge plonking feet right in the middle of them and branches broken off. Cuttings are being hastily taken before I lose the lot! I used to have lots of aquilegas, but they have been scratched up. :cry: Hence the reason for thinking of Pekins for lesser damage.

We are intending to get a smallholding in the next 3 years or so - well, that's the plan anyway, so I really wanted to just get used to my girls and any problems they get along the way sorted out before then, so additions were not part of the plan, although I have to admit it is very hard not to want more after these three characters - that is a fight in itself!

Lots of soul searching to be done, lots of homework and a list of pluses and minuses coming up.

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Sounds like you want to do it to me! :lol:

 

Well I'll do my list for you...

 

ADVANTAGES

 

* They are sooo cute

* Cheaper than buying POL

* Great for children

* Amazing to watch the mother hens teaching the chicks

* Can make the chicks very tame from an early age

 

DISADVANTAGES

* Need extra space for hen & chicks

* Will not get any eggs from the hen

* Time consuming

* Extra chickens to feed

* Not doing housework as you are outside watching them

* Introducing the new hens to the flock

 

 

Go on!! Its not that hard really

 

Paul

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* Not doing housework as you are outside watching them

 

Add that to the Advantage list! :lol: Apart from that, they are pretty good reasons on both counts.

 

At the moment I think you will need to get in line for the smacking session - it's DD's 17th birthday and some friends of hers are here. One lad is playing the guitar and singing (sort of) and I am just gritting my teeth and trying to control myself (I don't scream, but there is always a first time) - hence being banished to the study and playing on the computer while OH is watching footie upstairs.

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we have a broody pekin at the minute, in the past no amount of 'tricks' have snapped her out of it :evil: so at the moment we are letting her get on with it!

 

i did throw her out today for a free range with the others whilst we cleaned the run out, but she was less than impressed :shock:

 

i am quite keen on the idea of sticking some eggs under one of the pekins next time they go broodie, but hubby & daughter (both die hard veggies!) would probably leave home at the thought of me dispatching any boys we hatched for a sunday dinner :)

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Hmmmphh!

 

You're safe Redwing! Yes, I agree with you - she is so funny to look at - "you can't see me, I am part of the nestbox". Putty in my hands too. She mutters to herself when I take her up the garden and she skulks back down. Actually I wish I had my pedometer on me - so much running around (OK one way, uphill on the way back)! Then DD tried, but the poor bird didn't make it to the nest box in time and laid an egg on the lawn - she obviously didn't stop long - carried on straight back into the nest box.

 

Chickens@61, yep agree with you there too, DD wouldn't like any culling - although OH probably wouldn't mind.

 

Then what happens when the other 2 start (if they do)? I can't keep adding to the flock to appease an awkward call of nature, but I have mailed the girls breeder for her input. Yes, I would love to see chicks, but I feel I must be patient and carry on with the preventative measures - this year at least. I can knock up a broody pen well in advance then.

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