My BO finally went broody this week. I poured over every thread pertaining to cold weather brooding and decided to take the chance since I really want chicks and don't know for certain if any of the other hens will go broody. She, the broody is doing fine except that she doesn't want to get off the eggs at all. After reading, I started picking her up and placing her in the run. She doesn't like being picked up of course but is happy scratching around in the run and trying to get a bite to eat before running back to the eggs. The problem is that several of the other hens attack her. Seriously go on the attack, pecking, "biting" and holding on (like to rip a chunk out) and taking flying leaps, feat first on top of her. One she might fend off, but it is several at a time. She doesn't seem to understand. She doesn't fight back. She is definitely not initiating the problem.
For background, I have a coop with several nesting boxes attached to an enclosed 12x24 run. Normally there is almost no fighting. We've never had anything more than occasional pecking and chest bumping since they were tiny. There is an opening in the run that leads to a smaller run, which functions more like a tunnel leading to a 4x5 brooder box with two areas for nesting. (This is where they all brooded before going into the coop, hence the name.) I left it in place hoping that someday they would brood there. Until now, several of the hens laid eggs there and by some stroke of luck that was where my broody chose to set up shop. The other hens that laid there just started laying on my coop floor (very annoying, but a whole other problem).
The hens still go into the brooder and visit Buffy, the broody BO, with no conflict whatsoever. I've seen six or seven at a time visiting. They drink her water and nibble at her food. Buffy doesn't hiss, peck or seem to mind or sometimes even notice. (I have cameras in the run, coop and brooder box.) Yet, all heck breaks loose when I take her to the run to make her stretch her legs and poop.
Could they just not recognize her when I put her in through the outside door? The roosters recognize her just fine. They try to intervene but get overwhelmed. (Both roosters were trying to run interference for her, and I was still swatting hens left and right trying to get to her when the mass attacked.)
I don't know what other information would be helpful. The oldest chickens are just a year old this week and the rest are 8 months old including (Buffy the broody). This is their first winter and first broody hen experience. We are all learning it together. She started spending the night in the brooder box 6 days ago and I put real eggs under her 2 days ago.
My taking her to the run myself was a result of all of my reading here. Here's my logic...Chickens need food to help them stay warm at night. I need food in the brooder box because I don't want her to lose too much weight and fight off the cold. Evidently putting food there increases the threat of her pooping on her eggs. She really doesn't want to get off the eggs. She very well may stay on them to her detriment and not be able to walk later. There isn't a way to just push her off the nest and into the "tunnel" run because of how the box is built. I can open the flap and get to her but that's it. That's basically why I'm picking her up and putting her in through the people door in the run.
I know that I'm trying to employ all of the strategies at once, but I don't know how to determine which carries more weight. Thanks in advance for your help!
For background, I have a coop with several nesting boxes attached to an enclosed 12x24 run. Normally there is almost no fighting. We've never had anything more than occasional pecking and chest bumping since they were tiny. There is an opening in the run that leads to a smaller run, which functions more like a tunnel leading to a 4x5 brooder box with two areas for nesting. (This is where they all brooded before going into the coop, hence the name.) I left it in place hoping that someday they would brood there. Until now, several of the hens laid eggs there and by some stroke of luck that was where my broody chose to set up shop. The other hens that laid there just started laying on my coop floor (very annoying, but a whole other problem).
The hens still go into the brooder and visit Buffy, the broody BO, with no conflict whatsoever. I've seen six or seven at a time visiting. They drink her water and nibble at her food. Buffy doesn't hiss, peck or seem to mind or sometimes even notice. (I have cameras in the run, coop and brooder box.) Yet, all heck breaks loose when I take her to the run to make her stretch her legs and poop.
Could they just not recognize her when I put her in through the outside door? The roosters recognize her just fine. They try to intervene but get overwhelmed. (Both roosters were trying to run interference for her, and I was still swatting hens left and right trying to get to her when the mass attacked.)
I don't know what other information would be helpful. The oldest chickens are just a year old this week and the rest are 8 months old including (Buffy the broody). This is their first winter and first broody hen experience. We are all learning it together. She started spending the night in the brooder box 6 days ago and I put real eggs under her 2 days ago.
My taking her to the run myself was a result of all of my reading here. Here's my logic...Chickens need food to help them stay warm at night. I need food in the brooder box because I don't want her to lose too much weight and fight off the cold. Evidently putting food there increases the threat of her pooping on her eggs. She really doesn't want to get off the eggs. She very well may stay on them to her detriment and not be able to walk later. There isn't a way to just push her off the nest and into the "tunnel" run because of how the box is built. I can open the flap and get to her but that's it. That's basically why I'm picking her up and putting her in through the people door in the run.
I know that I'm trying to employ all of the strategies at once, but I don't know how to determine which carries more weight. Thanks in advance for your help!
