broody acting

[chickencowranch]

Do hens act broody before they actually go broody? I have Speckled Sussex who acts like she wants too. last week she sat on a nest for 1 day and half then got off. She had three eggs under her. When she gets off the nest she puffs up like she's protecting chicks she doesn t even have and clucks around. I took the eggs because she stayed off the nest. Yesterday she sat on a nest of 4 eggs then got off the nest when I went in to clean off the roost. I kept them in nest in case she did come back, but she's not. I'll take them today. I don't care if she does go broody. I just would like to know so I can find a separate coop for her if she does in fact decide to sit.

 

[kannna]

I have a cochin that has been broody in the mornings only for weeks now. She sits all morning, does the whole act. There's even biting and shrieking involved. And then in the afternoon she goes out with the other girls and acts pretty normal. She then roosts overnight and in the morning starts over again.

So I would wait until she is a little more committed before giving her eggs. She sounds a little indecisive. It may go either way, it depends on the hormones.

 

[chickencowranch]

I haven't given her eggs. I let the eggs that are already in the nest to see what she does. If she gets off , I take the eggs out.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Yeah, I’ve had hens that acted broody but were really not. They fluffed up, made the noises, and all that. Sometimes the hormones kick all the way over into full broody mode but sometimes they don’t. Your hen could go either way.

My test for when to trust a hen with eggs to hatch is when she spends two consecutive nights on the nest. Sounds like yours made it one night but not two.