Chickens are funny

[summer_jackel]

The white hen, Lily, has gone broody. Which means she's attempting to hatch eggs (good luck honey, no rooster). You want to take them off the nest and get the eggs, of course...this is something to be discouraged...but Lily is *feisty*. I find it highly amusing to be attacked by a bantam chicken; it brings a smile to my face every morning. And hey, you'll never notice another scar on my hands...

Comments

[ben-mouse.livejournal.com]

If you don't know her already, you should introduce yourself to Dustmeat here on LJ. From what I've picked up on your attitude about animals and such, I think you and she would get along. Plus you're both really cool artists.

[summer-jackel.livejournal.com]

Yes, Meg is an awesome person and a great artist :) I enjoy her a lot.

[a-rowan-dryad.livejournal.com]

So chickens have no clue about the lack of rooster causes lack of chicks? I thought most animals at least were away that mating produces off spring... if only in a instinctive level.

[summer-jackel.livejournal.com]

It’s kind of hard to say how much animals connect mating and having offspring. With a lot of birds, nesting seems pretty instinctive, triggered by light changes…convincing captive parrots not to lay eggs for health and behavior reasons can be an issue. Domestic hens, of course, have been selectively bred for a long time to lay lots of eggs safely. There are some individuals, though, and even some breeds which lack the instinct to brood eggs even if they are fertile. (to get chicks from these you need to incubate the eggs artificially or stick them under a different broody hen). Typical hens go broody at random…they just decide, from the weather or hormones or other reasons, to start sittin’ on those eggs, dammit.

Of course, it’s best if you try and stop her…move the nests around and toss her off whenever you see her sitting, and don’t leave any eggs. The hen is warming eggs you don’t want warm, she will quickly stop laying, and brooding eggs is physically quite a lot of effort…their whole metabolism changes. You don’t want a bird to do that for no reason.