One of my hens' behavior has been puzzling and worrying me for quite a while (at least a month, probably more). She's a 2-year-old Lemon Cuckoo Orpington. I noticed that she spent a lot of time sitting on the ground in the run. In the same general area, though not always the exact same spot. The flock likes to hang out in that area for group grooming sessions or just to relax, but they rarely sit on the ground the way they did when they were young. Now they just stand and preen themselves, or dust bathe, etc, then move on. But this girl... was just sitting. She seemed healthy otherwise - eating, drinking, pooping, laying, various body parts look fine, everything checks out. She gets up and comes over to me to check for treats, goes to eat whenever I throw something in the run, does all the normal things... but then goes back to sitting. I was worried that her legs might hurt her, or something, but she wasn't limping. I was so confused! It was out of character for her, and for chickens of that age in general, who don't spend a lot of time just sitting on the ground.
And then yesterday she took the next step and I realized what was going on. She was standing at the feeder eating when another hen came within her personal space, and this girl puffed up and gave her the broody screech. Then her voice broke and she proceeded to cluck the broody cluck for the rest of the day... while still hanging out outside! This has got to be the weirdest manifestation of broodiness I've ever seen! She has been broody before, but she did it properly - sat in the nesting box and all that. This time though... she forgot how it works. She spends more time not sitting than sitting, and when she sits, it's out in the open. And she's quick to get up and go check it out whenever anything of interest happens. She still lays eggs..... but has the broody voice and sits on the ground to worry me. I think my hen broke
Has anybody else had this kind of vague, half-a$$ed attempt at maybe possibly brooding but not really? I've heard of undecided broodies hopping nests, leaving the nests for too long, giving up then going back to it, etc. but there's always a nest involved and she's in it for at least some of the time. This girl only goes in the nest to lay and leaves, she does all her sitting out in the open....
Here she is, sitting all by herself:
Sometimes, her lookalike sister joins her, probably more for company than to actually brood with her. She doesn't spend long and gets up shortly after, but does occasionally sit with her for a bit, which is cute.
And then yesterday she took the next step and I realized what was going on. She was standing at the feeder eating when another hen came within her personal space, and this girl puffed up and gave her the broody screech. Then her voice broke and she proceeded to cluck the broody cluck for the rest of the day... while still hanging out outside! This has got to be the weirdest manifestation of broodiness I've ever seen! She has been broody before, but she did it properly - sat in the nesting box and all that. This time though... she forgot how it works. She spends more time not sitting than sitting, and when she sits, it's out in the open. And she's quick to get up and go check it out whenever anything of interest happens. She still lays eggs..... but has the broody voice and sits on the ground to worry me. I think my hen broke
Has anybody else had this kind of vague, half-a$$ed attempt at maybe possibly brooding but not really? I've heard of undecided broodies hopping nests, leaving the nests for too long, giving up then going back to it, etc. but there's always a nest involved and she's in it for at least some of the time. This girl only goes in the nest to lay and leaves, she does all her sitting out in the open....
Here she is, sitting all by herself:
Sometimes, her lookalike sister joins her, probably more for company than to actually brood with her. She doesn't spend long and gets up shortly after, but does occasionally sit with her for a bit, which is cute.
