Amy : Hi Gina, this is in response to Rosie in Australia. She was wondering if putting her broody hen Amber on the roost after dark had helped stop her broodiness. I think that does help! I recently had a broody Buff Orpington and was reading everything I could find on how to break her broodiness. Most recommendations were to put the bird in an open wire cage for several days with food and water but no bedding. That seemed kind of harsh, but one post on backyard chickens mentioned putting a bird on the roost after dark. So I thought I'd give it a try. With temperatures in the 20s here in Michigan she would have a good chance to cool off at night. It worked! After three nights of moving Anne from the nest box to the roost in the dark, she went back to running with the flock during the day and roosting with them at night. Ironically, only a couple of days after Anne went back to "normal", I received your newsletter with Rosie's letter. Anne took about two weeks to start laying eggs again, but she is still running with the flock and growing new feathers on her belly. Amy

Guinea Fowl A Guide To Raising Guineas CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS

Lori : Imagine my surprise today when I collected eggs from the coop and found this one. The hens are molting right now ... and as you know... all their energy is going into producing new feathers before the cold weather gets here... and sometimes they will lay odd shaped, soft-shelled eggs. But never, have I ever, seen one with an "extension" on it!!! I thought you might get a kick out of it. Love your newsletter. I've learned so much from you and your readers. Lori