Broody chicken?

[Chickenoreo]

So on Sunday I noticed my chicken didn’t leave the spot where she lays her eggs and when I would get close she made a noise like she wanted me to leave. She was there for about 5-6 hours and I had to get that spot because I suspected she was going broody. Yesterday and today I’ve noticed she still makes that weird noise when I get close and today her crop feel small. Can my chicken be broody but still little bit active?

 

[jpalmatier83]

Yes. Often when they’re putting together a clutch of eggs.

I had one that would disappear for an hour at a time for about a week.

Then she started disappearing for 12-16 hours.

After two days of this I started watching closer. She had made herself a nest under a brush pile, had about 8 eggs collected down there, and started trying to sit the eggs. I was nervous about leaving her out over night so I didn’t let her hatch them.

She was definitely broody (not happy when I didn’t let her down to the brush), and definitely active while she was putting the eggs together.

 

[Lillith37]

Yeah, broody chickens still make noises and move around on the nest. They will leave the nest anywhere from several times a day to every couple of days to eat, poop and dust bathe. They eat less when they are broody. If you take her off the nest and put her on the ground and she stays flat like a pancake that’s another sign of broodiness. You can also check her underbelly, they pull out their feathers there to keep the eggs warm.