Worried about my broody hen
Posted: Fri Jul 14, 2017 9:57 am
So my little Silkie hen has been sitting a second round of hatching eggs, due to hatch on the 18/19.
Every thing was fine as far a flock dynamics up until last week, when she came out in the morning as usual to eat some fermented feed with the rest of the girls, and my speckle Sussex hen attacked her. As in jumped on her and started pecking at her head. I was there to push her away, but she came right back to try again before AI even had a chance to pick Gracie up. I moved her away and managed to get Gracie back into the coop, closed the pop door and gave her some of her own fermented feed in there. She went back to the nest shortly after that, and I put the broody fence back up so that the others could get at her during the day, and I would let her out if she wanted every morning. The following days there were no incidents, but then one morning my head hen chased her away from the feed dishes, right into the coop, and again I felt I had to intervene.
After that, Gracie didn't come out in the mornings for a few days. Then yesterday I let everyone out into the yard and opened up the brooder fence in case Gracie wanted to do some free ranging. She did, but not two minutes after she came out, my speckled Sussex and my Ameraucana full on attacked her. I got it sorted with treats in two different spots, and then things seemed to settle down, with Gracie scratching and pecking alongside two other hens for a while. My Speckled Sussex hen is an unfriendly, mean and nasty eating machine who hasn't laid an egg since spring. I thought Speckled Sussex were supposed to be nice birds. I have been telling her that her days are numbered unless she changes her attitude, but she obviously doesn't believe me. Anyway, when it looked like everyone had gone in, I went down to close up the coop, expecting that Gracie would have gone in long before everyone else, but the nest box was empty, except for the eggs. I went back out in the yard and found her hiding underneath our trailer, so I turned on the light in the coop and encouraged her to head in, which she did. I don't know why she didn't go in much earlier, because in the past she always has. She never stays out longer than 20 minutes when she's been broody in the past. I think this second round of sitting is too much for her. I give her extra goodies every day, so that she can keep her strength up, but I think it's not enough, and in her weakened state she can't assert herself to maintain her place in the pecking order. She was off the nest for about an hour last evening. I don't know if anything will hatch now. I'm not sure what else I can or should do for Gracie.
Every thing was fine as far a flock dynamics up until last week, when she came out in the morning as usual to eat some fermented feed with the rest of the girls, and my speckle Sussex hen attacked her. As in jumped on her and started pecking at her head. I was there to push her away, but she came right back to try again before AI even had a chance to pick Gracie up. I moved her away and managed to get Gracie back into the coop, closed the pop door and gave her some of her own fermented feed in there. She went back to the nest shortly after that, and I put the broody fence back up so that the others could get at her during the day, and I would let her out if she wanted every morning. The following days there were no incidents, but then one morning my head hen chased her away from the feed dishes, right into the coop, and again I felt I had to intervene.
After that, Gracie didn't come out in the mornings for a few days. Then yesterday I let everyone out into the yard and opened up the brooder fence in case Gracie wanted to do some free ranging. She did, but not two minutes after she came out, my speckled Sussex and my Ameraucana full on attacked her. I got it sorted with treats in two different spots, and then things seemed to settle down, with Gracie scratching and pecking alongside two other hens for a while. My Speckled Sussex hen is an unfriendly, mean and nasty eating machine who hasn't laid an egg since spring. I thought Speckled Sussex were supposed to be nice birds. I have been telling her that her days are numbered unless she changes her attitude, but she obviously doesn't believe me. Anyway, when it looked like everyone had gone in, I went down to close up the coop, expecting that Gracie would have gone in long before everyone else, but the nest box was empty, except for the eggs. I went back out in the yard and found her hiding underneath our trailer, so I turned on the light in the coop and encouraged her to head in, which she did. I don't know why she didn't go in much earlier, because in the past she always has. She never stays out longer than 20 minutes when she's been broody in the past. I think this second round of sitting is too much for her. I give her extra goodies every day, so that she can keep her strength up, but I think it's not enough, and in her weakened state she can't assert herself to maintain her place in the pecking order. She was off the nest for about an hour last evening. I don't know if anything will hatch now. I'm not sure what else I can or should do for Gracie.