Broody at 5.5 months?

[aliciaFarmer]

Has anyone had a young pullet go broody? This batch of chicks hatched on April 23rd so aren't even 6 months old. This particular girl, Clementine, a Buff Orpington, only started laying at 19 weeks so very recently. Ever since yesterday, she's been sitting in her favorite nesting box all puffed up and growling at anyone and everything that approaches her (except me, but she glares at me). She laid an egg yesterday and another today and is also sitting on two fakes, constantly rearranging them. She's definitely not egg bound and has nothing wrong with her as I've seen her get up to eat and drink a couple of times and then go right back to her favorite box. Isn't this extremely young? I've never heard of such a young pullet being broody like this. These are my first chickens in a looong time but I don't recall anyone being broody before a year or so. (Too bad all my boys are only 3.5 months old!)

 

[AlleysChicks]

Yep it can happen. I had a EE pullet last year go broody and hatch 5 chicks. She was about 5 months old. Hadn’t laid many eggs before she decided she wanted a family. And she’s been broody 2x this year.

So it’s not entirely unheard of. If you let her sit to hatch, I advise a solid 3 days straight of staying on the nest. No nighttime roosting. And with as young as your boys are I don’t eggs are fertile. Remember that they lose body condition as they sit so if she’s not going to hatch you need to break her.

 

[DesertBird]

Yeah, happened to one of my girls. She's an eager mother! lol

 

[hillbilly91]

I've had it happen with a bantam seabright hen. She was 6months old. She was a good momma. Good luck and let nature do what it does

 

[aliciaFarmer]

Yep it can happen. I had a EE pullet last year go broody and hatch 5 chicks. She was about 5 months old. Hadn’t laid many eggs before she decided she wanted a family. And she’s been broody 2x this year.

So it’s not entirely unheard of. If you let her sit to hatch, I advise a solid 3 days straight of staying on the nest. No nighttime roosting. And with as young as your boys are I don’t eggs are fertile. Remember that they lose body condition as they sit so if she’s not going to hatch you need to break her.

Wow, that's crazy. I had no idea they could start so soon. Two of her hatch-mates haven't even started lying yet (a Partridge Cochin and a Black Australorp). Since my boys aren't old enough to be fertilizing eggs, I think I will see about getting some elsewhere. Haven't had baby chicks since July and... you know how that goes.

 

[aliciaFarmer]

Yeah, happened to one of my girls. She's an eager mother! lol

It totally makes sense. She was the first to love and adore my newest batch of babies that are now three and a half months old. If anyone picked on them, she chased them off. She pretty much took them under her wing before she was even laying.

 

[aliciaFarmer]

I've had it happen with a bantam seabright hen. She was 6months old. She was a good momma. Good luck and let nature do what it does

Since my boys aren't old enough yet I may just get some fertilized eggs for her tomorrow and cross my fingers she doesn't get bored.

 

[DesertBird]

It totally makes sense. She was the first to love and adore my newest batch of babies that are now three and a half months old. If anyone picked on them, she chased them off. She pretty much took them under her wing before she was even laying.

Awe, how cute!

 

[1cock2hens]

I have had it happen as well( a 5 month old salmon faverolles) and she successfully 7 chicks.

 

[EggWalrus]

I've had a few that like to start early. I've got some game hens that think their sole purpose is to lay a dozen eggs, sit on them for 3 weeks, raise babies for 6 weeks, then do it all other again. Some breeds are just more prone to early broodiness. But it can happen with any.