We have sussed what is going on with Flame

Flame is broody, or actually not quite, she wants to be broody. All day yesterday she was manically running up and down the patio area and in out of the shed. She was no longer digging or flicking out the shavings or going to the other nest boxes.

Flame did this for the entire day and didn’t lay an egg. This morning I found her egg under her roost spot. There was no deep hole dug out or any shavings scratched out of the shed. It appears as if her mania the day before stopped her laying and she had just dropped her egg first thing in the morning.

Ebony went on to lay her egg in her usual nest box a little later this morning. Neither girls had laid the day before.

We then realised that Flame was for looking eggs. She was running into the shed and looking in each of the corners. We now think that all the digging out shavings was nest building and she is now looking for eggs to sit on.

The difference between these game girls and my other girls is that they have been used as broodies by their breeder. They have been used to sitting on a clutch of eggs and then hatching them.

Cinnamon has never had an egg to sit on and was responding to her instinct and hormones. She wanted to perch in the shed and wasn’t deterred by the fact that not only were there no eggs to sit on but the perch wouldn’t make a suitable place to sit anyway. I am tempted to say “bird of little brain” despite how much I love her.

Flame on the other hand has sat on a clutch of eggs. She knows that she needs to find some eggs to sit on. She is making a mournful little sound while looking in all four corners of the shed. It seems almost cruel not let her have eggs to sit on but we don’t want to encourage broody behaviour.

I hope that after a few days she will give up and probably stop laying too. She will then get over it and settle down. At least we know what her problem is now.

Flame – are you looking at me!

Is my egg here?

Or is it here?

Is it here?

Is it in this corner?

I feel happier now that we know what is going on with her and it will hopefully soon pass. Chickens! There is always something.