Aren't they amazing?

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Anndee

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Aren't they amazing?
« on: October 09, 2011, 18:08 »
I've had my young bantams a few weeks now and it just amazes me how they know things with each other.
 Like only one is laying at the moment but when she goes to lay in the nest box the others just carry on without her.
 Normally they are in a group, never separate.
 Also this same one, Milly, has started going a bit broody yesterday and from all four of them ( 3 females 1 cockerel) who usually sleep two to a nestbox they left Miss Milly  Broody to herself in the nestbox and all 3 huddled up together in one last night!
 How do they know these things??
As I don't want any chicks, certainly not at this time of year, am I doing the right thing in lifting her off the nest and plonking her outside and removing the egg as she lays it. I did that this morn, after she had been sat since about 3pm yesterday, and she was ok with it. Just went about her normal business as usual. she hasn't appeared to be broody since this incident yesterday.

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NormandyMary

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Re: Aren't they amazing?
« Reply #1 on: October 09, 2011, 19:22 »
From my limited knowledge, yes you are doing everything correctly! I do agree with you wholeheartedly though about how intelligent chooks really are. After just being shown once, my girls and boy knew where to go to bed, and infact 2 new girls I got at a later date, didnt even have to be shown, they just seemed to know. They all get on well, and mine form and orderly queue to use one particular nesting box, even though there are 4 in their house!!

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Lindeggs

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Re: Aren't they amazing?
« Reply #2 on: October 10, 2011, 02:39 »
You're doing the right thing to keep moving your broody hen out of the nest box.  I have six pullets who are all taking turns to go broody so it's a constant procession of them settling in the nest box and me turfing them out!

I agree they are amazing what they know.  Chickens might be bird-brains but they do have amazing instincts.  Mine were hatched in a brooder and brought up with others their same age, yet they know just what to do when they lay an egg, without ever being shown.  They are lovely to watch.

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Lewjam

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Re: Aren't they amazing?
« Reply #3 on: October 10, 2011, 12:51 »
Heh i think mine are 98% instinct and 2% interlect.

If hens had dunces cap, my trio would try and put it on as a sock. :lol:
I hate signatures but love irony

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Anndee

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Re: Aren't they amazing?
« Reply #4 on: October 12, 2011, 11:46 »
Well. After taking her off the nest and taking the egg she tried to sit on she, has now decided she isn't going to lay  :blink:
We've not had an egg since the one she laid on Saturday.
Seems like she's gone off laying and maybe thought she'd sit on it as it was going to be the last one for a while.
What do we know??
She laid 2 dozen in all and only missed 2 days of laying. she started to lay at 18 weeks old so not bad.
I'm not expecting the other 2 to start now until spring.



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