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Saturday 27 October 2012

Broody and Moody - No Not Me!

Poor Lavender, all is not well in the coop.  Lavender is our most recent addition and after a troublesome start (and some vigilant Water Blasting) she settled in a treat.  She loves her 'sisters' probably a little bit more than they love her.    She is not backward in coming forward and is the first to bustle her way wherever she needs to go.  She is always the first to appear for treats and she eats the 'lion's share'.  In return she lays ridiculously small eggs.  Euan will request her eggs by preference.  I noticed last night Lavender made a peculiar noise.  She makes a different noise to the others anyway.  She has a beautiful little 'chirping' song.  Last night at bedtime she sounded more like a 'crow' or a 'magpie'.  It sounded like she had a sore throat.  I didn't think much of it.
                This morning I was a bit bleary eyed when I let them out of the coop, Lavender stayed behind rather than run to freedom.  Again I did not think much of it as often someone is busy laying and I 'do not disturb'.  This appears to take about 45 minutes.  The hens will just pop off to the nest box when they need too.  They all share the same single box.  Although there are two boxes they would rather plait their legs and wait for the 'Number 1' nest box to become vacant.  Lavender is currently an egg a day girl.
                   I have been busy going about the day today, as you do, but I hadn't seen Lavender.  Euan and his friend went to feed the chickens bread this afternoon and the three 'Ginger Ninjas' were making the boys laugh and jumping for bread.  I asked Euan to investigate where Lavender had got to.  He came back down the garden and said she was all puffed up in the nest box laying an egg.  It took another hour for this to sink in with me.  I thought 'Ahhh...Lavender is not right today...we have not seen her out.'  I went to investigate.  On the way I pulled an enormous swede out of the garden for lunch tomorrow.
This is the first swede I have ever grown, I hope it tastes good, I have an awful feeling it is going to be a woody disappointment.
                   I opened the nest box and there was Lavender.  Puffed up to an enormous size.  I said 'hello' and she gave me a squawk and she looked very cross.  I wondered if she was hurt and even though I do not want to be scratched or pecked by an angry chicken I know it is my duty to investigate and sort it out.  I tried to touch her and she gave me a low, growly, croak, that I clearly understood to mean 'Back off or else'!  Chickens can draw blood easily!  Ask me how I know!  I have never had a broody hen as the little Red  'Brown Link Hybrids' rarely go broody as they are egg production birds and the most prolific layers of the 'Chicken World'.  Lack or broodiness is a breed trait.  Lavender is a 'Speckledy Hen' which is also a Hybrid Breed but different to the Brown Links.  'Speckledy Hen' is a lovely breed name.  Who wouldn't want a 'Speckledy'?   Broodiness can cause significant health problems for a hen.  Broodiness can last for days if not weeks.  A hen will neglect her self care, not eating and drinking to sit on her eggs all day and all night.  She will protect them fiercely.  Her own health can take a nose dive.  I have read that the most effective way to cure broodiness is to house the hen separately in a wire floored pen for a few days.  The wire floor means they cannot get comfortable and it lowers their temperature.  Temperature is a key factor in broodiness too.  This sounds very harsh and is not really doable for me at the moment and as we are at 'Day 1' I will monitor Lavender closely and thank goodness I am off work so I have time to give her extra tlc.
                   I decided against her will, I had to get her off the 'nest'.  I chickened out and used a children's spade to gently 'shove' her off the nest.  She went straight for food and water and ate ravenously.  Her 'sisters' appear to be thoroughly enjoying a Lavenderless day.
Girls!  Should you be in there?

 Lavender was very cross, croaking and puffing herself up like a turkey.  The nest was incredibly warm and she was sitting on a toasty warm egg.  Much warmer than any egg I have felt before.  It is very cold here today so I decided to encourage her out of the coop altogether and close off the nest boxes until it is dark.
Lavender ran around the garden for a short while...croaking and eating ravenously.  That is the last apple of the year from the little apple tree.  They love the apples.
As well as apples chickens also love Curly Kale apparently!  Every chicken should be allowed to ransack the vegetable garden.   They are in heaven while they are ransacking vegetables.
                 Poor Broody Lavender ran back to the coop.  She is desperate to get back in the nest box and does not understand why she can't.  She looks very unsettled, anxious and cross.  I am in absolutely no doubt when I come across a cross chicken.  They are good communicators and let you know how they are feeling.  She is looking at the door and pacing and pecking.  The sooner I break the broodiness for her the better though.  The longer I leave her broody the harder it is to break.  Her feet look 'pink' usually they are cream, she looks like a child with a fever.  I am having to be cruel to be kind.  I have come to blog about it rather than watch her distress!  I am lucky it is cold now too as being off the nest and outside today will certainly lower her temperature.  If it were Summer and hot outside it would be a different matter. I have been blessed so far, the chickens have had really good health without any problems. . .so my 'Poultry keeping' adventures have been all happy and trouble free.  Having Lavender 'off colour' has bought it home to me how attached I am to these hens.  It makes me sad to see her distressed.  I want her to get back to her usual 'bustling' self asap.
Here is Rosie, she is a 'character'.  She stands there ready to climb on me.  Today she was very interested in my Wellyboots and she had a good peck and pull on my trousers.  Rosie looks like she is having a molt in this picture too.  I have never been through a 'chicken Molt' either.  In bad cases of a Molt they can run around looking 'oven ready'.  That would not be good for winter.  Beneath her wing she is has lost her top feathers and the pale 'downy' feathers a visible.  She will be chilly if they don't hurry up and grow back.  I can see me knitting chicken jackets!  Make the most of the peace and quiet Rosie because I am hoping Lavender will be fighting fit again in no time.
XXX

17 comments:

  1. Oh dear, broody chickens are no fun! Hopefully it won't last long, and we did the same as you ... Let the others lay and then turf the broody one out. It's the only way to get them to eat and drink. I went on a hen keeping course last year and we were told that an old farmer's remedy for broodiness was soaking the hen in a water butt and then twirling it around by its feet! Bit drastic!

    Have a lovely weekend and hope Lavender cheers up soon xxx

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    1. Thanks for the comment so I am roughly doing something right. I just put them to bed and Lavender shot in to continue sitting where she left off! I will turf her out again tomorrow. I could threaten her with the 'Old Farmers Remedy' the threat of that would just about cure me from anything! xxx

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  2. Hi Lucy.. broody hens are a bummer. We had one of our last batch do that and what finally broke her was putting her bottom half down in a bucket of cold water. I have worse news though, when we arrived home Beyonce was dead. She was on the floor under the roost in the hen house. :-( I've been reading online and there are all kinds of causes for sudden death of a young healthy hen. I just hope the others are okay. :-((((( Hugs, T

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    1. Hiya Teresa, I may give Lavender the cool water treatment if things get any worse. I am sorry to hear about Beyonce. You are right there are so many things they can get it is hard to be sure. Chickens are quite amazing and strong...they can be very ill for a while and look fine then it seems that they have suddenly passed. Apparently the 'flock' attack weak or sick hens so it pays to look strong and healthy for as long as you can in chicken world. xxx

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  3. Sending Lavender a hug ... xxx

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    1. Thanks Mel, you are close enough to come and give her a hug yourself...I am not brave enough with the mood she is in! xxx

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  4. Poor Lavender! I hope she gets back to her normal self soon. It sounds like you're having a rough time dealing with her and I can see why. Best wishes to you, her, and Rosie!
    ~Lacey

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    1. Thanks Lacey...I am not cut out for this 'Farming' malarkey. If I had a flock of sheep they would all be pets and have names and be welcome in my living room! xxx

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  5. Oh dear..me sending lavender a big hug xxx

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    1. Thanks Cucki...our fur and feather babies can be a worry. I am sure she is sleeping soundly now. xxx

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  6. Having started my life living on Flying Feather Chicken Farm in MA, I am now horrified to realize well over 50 years later how little I learned about caring for chickens! Thanks for taking the time to post about what you know/are learning, Lucy. I need to temper my romantic ideas of having backyard chickens with a good dose of reality. Thanks too for suggesting I consult Google to figure out what kind of nut tree we have. I sometimes forget what an amazing resource Google can be. From what I have seen on Google so far, I think you are headed in the right direction... that we have some sort of macadamia tree...but I am still investigating. xx from Gracie

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    1. 'The Flying Feather Chicken Farm' sounds like a fantastic place...what a great name. I am sure on a larger scale things are done very differently and your average 'chicken farmer' would find me most insane! I love googling...I am googling all the time. I have been 'googling' lots of 'squash' and pumpkins recently and love googling recipes. I also like the word 'google'! lol Good luck with you 'Nut Identification' I wonder what else it could be? xxx

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  7. Lucy.. I hope Lavender is soon back to bustling around. We had one chicken who would go off into the hedgerow and become broody. We never could find her and then we gave up and thought Foxy Loxy must have got her. But after a while she would return to the flock but was always a bit dispirited for a while. What a shame. Thank you for link to wolly site .i Amon the case! Have a good half term x

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    1. Poor Girl, she is not bustling today...it is still early but she took more persuading off the nest this morning, she was positively tricky to shift. He legs seemed very stiff and she assumed 'brood' position on the floor until she stretched and ran off for ten minutes. It looks like it is going to be 'wild weather' here today but I will give everyone a chance to lay and then close off the nest box again. I would not like it if she disappeared...at least I know where she is. xxx

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  8. Aw, I hope she makes an improvement soon! You are not being cruel just conscientious with her, and even though she is cross I am sure she will soon forget and will be back to her usual self :)

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  9. Oh that poor thing, hope she gets over it soon. I like that "cooling off" remedie...

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  10. Blimey Lucy it's a complicated business keeping chickens I didn't realise and I didn't know that choocks get broody like that, I thought they just clucked around trying to hatch things! Hopefully Lavender will feel better soon! Enjoy your Halloween hope Euan has fun with his fangs!!!!!

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I appreciate and enjoy reading all of the feedback from your comments. Thank you for taking the time to stop by and sharing your thoughts. Sadly I have found it necessary to enable word verification, something I was trying to avoid...but I am receiving an unmanageable deluge of Spam! We don't want that do we? xxx :)