Unsecure chicken perches

[auntielizzie]

Over the last couple of days I have noticed that Bessie doesn't come straight out of the house after laying her egg like she used to; in fact she seems to stay in the next box for a while chuntering to herself before emerging. Today I went and encouraged her out. Does this mean she is starting to go broody? If so, why would she start doing this and is it a problem? My guess is that if she becomes really broody she will stop laying - is this correct? What is the best way to stop her doing this if it likely to be the start of broodyness?

[Kylie1007]

She sounds like my chicken who is broody for the 2nd time! She stays in the nest box longer than usual but eventually just doesn;t come out. She has stopped laying and will sit on the eggs that the other chicken lays if we dont remove them.. She growls and would peck you if you got too close but will allow you to pick her up. I take her out in the morning so she gets something to eat and drink. Last time it took her about a month to start laying again. I dont know whether being broody is a bad thing or just annoying. We let her get over it in her own time.

[Purplemaniacs]

If they are sitting in the nest most of the time, they are not eating and drinking as normal so they will lose condition which is why some people use a broody cage to snap them out of their broodiness.

 

Chrissie