Broody chicken

[chickens1967]

Why do my other hens attack the broody hen when she comes out of the coop?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Broodies are weird and hormonal and their behavior can be confusing to other chickens. Plus they're usually kind of angry which sets off the others as well.

 

[chickens1967]

Broodies are weird and hormonal and their behavior can be confusing to other chickens. Plus they're usually kind of angry which sets off the others as well.

Thank you for the reply. Is there anything I can do to stop it?

 

[aart]

Thank you for the reply. Is there anything I can do to stop it?

Give them all lots of space to get out of her way!
Does she have eggs....when are they due to hatch?

 

[rosemarythyme]

If you want her to hatch, you'll have to put up with her foul mood, and all the others being set off by her foul mood. If you don't want her to hatch, break her and everything will be more or less back to normal in a week or two.

 

[chickens1967]

Give them all lots of space to get out of her way!
Does she have eggs....when are they due to hatch?

Hi There,
No, this is the second time in 3 years she has done this and both times there were no eggs; other than her sister's she tried to take over. Out of 6, she is my only broody girl. I don't recall the others attacking her though last time. Very strange. I feel bad for her :-(

 

[aart]

If you want her to hatch, you'll have to put up with her foul mood, and all the others being set off by her foul mood. If you don't want her to hatch, break her and everything will be more or less back to normal in a week or two.

Ditto Dat!

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Hi There,
No, this is the second time in 3 years she has done this and both times there were no eggs; other than her sister's she tried to take over. Out of 6, she is my only broody girl. I don't recall the others attacking her though last time. Very strange. I feel bad for her :-(

I think you're saying you don't want her to hatch and I have the very same thing. One who is prone to going broody (no hatch,) and when she does (pulling out of it right now,) the others get upset, pick on her and it seems to affect them laying, it's slows down. It's not like they dont have other boxes to lay eggs in, they just really don't like that she's being different. So my opinion is you just have to be extra diligent to break her out of it. I go out and toss her out of the nest box several times a day and then stand between her and the others so that she can drink and eat but then they beat her up, she goes back, repeat, repeat until finally she snaps out of it.