Chickens!!

[Swede]

I love my birds. I don't tolerate aggression. Only broodies being protective get a pass

Here are the causes that get a pass to me:
Broodies & moodies

 

[sumi]

I have a hen here that went broody on another hen's chicks, after she let them go (they were about 8 weeks old already). She is fierce over those youngsters and takes bites out of me every other day. I know broodies and moodies, but that girl is nuts-nuts!

 

[lcertuche]

I used to have an old hen that would steal all the chicks. If they would leave their moms she pecked them in the head and killed them. Other moms were no match for her. I gave her and the 25 chicks she managed to steal to my neighbor so they could get a flock that would survive. With her and my meanest rooster I knew they would have a flock that would survive and they did. They told me they named her 'The b!tch from hell'.

 

[Swede]

I used to have an old hen that would steal all the chicks. If they would leave their moms she pecked them in the head and killed them. Other moms were no match for her. I gave her and the 25 chicks she managed to steal to my neighbor so they could get a flock that would survive. With her and my meanest rooster I knew they would have a flock that would survive and they did. They told me they named her 'The b!tch from hell'.

 

[sumi]

I've got an Orpington now named Lilly who will sit all afternoon in the laying box on eggs that are from other hens. I hate to tell her that they're never going to hatch... We have a young rooster just starting to strut his stuff. We weren't planning on having chicks this year, but I kinda feel sorry for Lilly. I usually leave an egg for her in the box overnight. Maybe I can get her some fake ones?

If you're not going to let her hatch some chicks for you, it would be best to break her broodiness. The best way to do this is putting her in a wire bottomed cage (so there is air flow beneath her), with NO bedding materials, or eggs. Just food and water. She should snap out of it within 3 days unless she's really determined. Broody hens lose a lot of weight, due to their inactivity and little food intake, so allowing them to stay broody for too long can end up harming their health.

 

[Swede]

If you're not going to let her hatch some chicks for you, it would be best to break her broodiness. The best way to do this is putting her in a wire bottomed cage (so there is air flow beneath her), with NO bedding materials, or eggs. Just food and water. She should snap out of it within 3 days unless she's really determined. Broody hens lose a lot of weight, due to their inactivity and little food intake, so allowing them to stay broody for too long can end up harming their health.

 

[sumi]

You're welcome! She's a pretty hen. If she's broody now, chances are she will go again at some point. When you're ready to let her hatch some eggs for you in Spring, you can encourage her to go broody by leaving some eggs in a box for her. I've had some success with this method. You can't make a hen go broody, but a box of eggs sometimes triggers the hormones, depending on the individual, or in my MIL's case, half the flock! She was in hospital once and we forgot to collect the eggs from her coop for 2 or 3 days.. I walked in and found broodies lined up like peas in a pod! Ooops! Her little bantams were crazy broody though.

 

[sumi]

I'm about to wring my mad broody's neck, never mind break her. The beatch took a bite out of my bare foot when I stumbled outside, still half asleep, first thing this morning to go open their pen and feed them And then took a bite out of my arm when I went out later to hang the laundry.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Chicken soup!!

 

[sumi]

Chicken soup!!

If she wasn't my DS's little "baby"… Of course she is super sweet with him, but me who feeds and cleans up after the birds..