Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[angusrose]

My 2 hens have recently become broody, one a Brown Sussex has been so for 2 weeks and was showing no signs of returning to normal, and the other, a Cream Leg Bar became broody in the last few days. I'd tried everything from shutting the henhouse after turfing them out - the merely nested down as close as possible to the nest box, to putting ice packs under them. All to no avail. I then had a light bulb moment while clearing up the kids' play room. Snakes. Well toys ones anyway. I decided to place one in the nest box, and one under the next bow where they normally hunker down if they can't get in. Lo and behold, 2 rather startled hens out in the garden scratching around as normal with occasional returns to the henhouse to see if all was clear (it wasn't). This seems to have worked in that their behaviour has returned to normal from being deeply entrenched in the broody state. I've now removed the toy snakes, and the hens are only returning to the henhouse at dusk to roost and spend the rest of the time scratching around.

[MedusA]

Well that's a new one on me! Very enterprising.

[Snowy]

I like it, very enterprising!

Poor girls - bet they were a bit startled!

[Lewis]

:lol:

 

At least it worked!

[angusrose]

I must say I employed this technique with just a tinge of guilt. The poor loves were rather startled and I was glad when I could remove the snakes.

[Plum]

poor things, bet you get wonky eggs now

[Egluntyne]

Worth a try!