Anyone who's ever had a broody knows exactly what this is. It's when a hen puffs up every single feather on her body to make her look three times her normal size and is used to intimidate the other hens. Someone on my favorite chicken Facebook group described it as "Back the Cluck up Bitch" mode. And while some may find that offensive, it really is a great description of what the hen is thinking.
This is Marigold yesterday. She was on day two of being in the broody breaker trying to get her to rethink her broody ways. I put her out in the garden to stretch her legs and hang out with her sisters. I also wanted to see if she would attempt to get back into her nest box.
Today is day three and while she's still making the broody, chuck, chuck, chuck sounds, I did get her to roost with her sisters tonight so I think she may be over it. Fingers crossed that she's back out in the run like normal in the morning. It breaks my heart to isolate her in the broody breaker. But letting her brood when there's no chance of her having babies is even more cruel.
I know that stance so well. Topaz in the early years and Butterscotch in more recent times both used to look that when I got them out of the nest box. I am familiar with that chuck chuck sound too. Lets hope tomorrow she is back to normal. They do look so very angry when they are like that.
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