Uh, Broodiness is Contagious!

In addition to the Buff Orpington and the Australorp, one of the other Buff Orpington girls is now showing signs of broodiness. She screamed and bit me this morning as I gathered the eggs, rising up off the nest like an infuriated Velociraptor.

I've had no success breaking up the broodiness of the Australorp - she is sticking to her nest like a burr. I tried locking her out of the nest area for the past two days - she wasn't having it. Now she has plucked out her downy tummy feathers to line the nest and has since managed to steal two eggs, so she isn't sitting golf balls exclusively. *Sigh* I may have to either put her in a cage with just food and water, or put an ice pack in her nest. I definitely have to do something about the most recent case (the second BO), as I certainly don't need 24 pullets deciding en masse that nesting behavior looks like entirely too much fun to pass up...

It does appear that a movement is afoot in the coop, powered, as it were, by the rising tide of hormones and an overwhelming urge to reproduce. Wish me all the best as I try to restore some semblance of sanity to my ladies' lives.

Edit: Sarah the Australorp has managed to acquire one more egg, for a grand total of three. I have to admit, it is cute how she tucks them under her with her little beak while "talking" to them, then nestles carefully over them while gazing watchfully from her corner nest.

This guy/girl decided to put in an appearance this afternoon at around 4:30, rather early for one whose habits run to the nocturnal. He didn't appear to be ill (he was moving well and purposefully), but I didn't want him around my girls (and he was watching them), so I called them to me and put everyone in the coop, and chased our impromptu visitor away. No pasture-ranging for the ladies tomorrow; everyone will have to stay in the run until further notice.

Edit: I did some reading...most likely this is a mama raccoon with babies nearby. Apparently mamas alter their nocturnal foraging habits when they are raising their young, coming out during the latter part of the day to find food so they can return to the den to guard their babies over the course of the night. I plan to call a Wildlife Rehabilitation Center for advice.

After approximately 12 tries, this is the best I can do to get the image to upload. Windstream REALLY needs to do something about their creaky, medieval, sub-par Internet service/speed/issues.