Broody Chicken

[Littledinostaurs]

I have a old English game bantam that wants to be broody and it shows but she isn’t sitting on the eggs she is just walking around, but whenever another chicken walks by her, she’ll start to fluff her feathers up and act like she’s protecting chicks. Could it be that she is wanting to have a bigger clutch of eggs that she laid or does she just not want to sit on other birds eggs because I put more eggs in her nest, but she didn’t except them and she didn’t sit on them she and showed no interest. Any suggestions?

 

[Farmgirl283420]

I have a old English game bantam that wants to be broody and it shows but she isn’t sitting on the eggs she is just walking around, but whenever another chicken walks by her, she’ll start to fluff her feathers up and act like she’s protecting chicks. Could it be that she is wanting to have a bigger clutch of eggs that she laid or does she just not want to sit on other birds eggs because I put more eggs in her nest, but she didn’t except them and she didn’t sit on them she and showed no interest. Any suggestions?

Maybe she’s just getting ready to go broody? I’m going through the same thing with my hen! A little confusing for sure!

 

[Littledinostaurs]

Maybe she’s just getting ready to go broody? I’m going through the same thing with my hen! A little confusing for sure!

Ik I’m like girl you sure want them but you to lazy to sit and them ig she knows I have her offspring in the incubator about to hatch and she wants me to just give them to her

 

[Farmgirl283420]

Ik I’m like girl you sure want them but you to lazy to sit and them ig she knows I have her offspring in the incubator about to hatch and she wants me to just give them to her

Amelia did raise my sweet pullet Enola this spring so I really hope she sits and hatches some more! Hopefully your hen will do the same!

Amelia my hen is the frizzle to the right and Enola is to the left. This picture was taken a little while ago!

 

[rosemarythyme]

She's not committed yet so if you were hoping she'd sit on some eggs, I would hold off on putting any under her until she shows she's willing to sit for at least 48 hours.

 

[Littledinostaurs]

Amelia did raise my sweet pullet Enola this spring so I really hope she sits and hatches some more! Hopefully your hen will do the same! View attachment 3839442Amelia my hen is the frizzle to the right and Enola is to the left. This picture was taken a little while ago!

Thx, Lol

She's not committed yet so if you were hoping she'd sit on some eggs, I would hold off on putting any under her until she shows she's willing to sit for at least 48 hours.

ok she must not be because she is pulling feather from her breast and fuffing up as she walks around the pen but she has not really seemed to care for eggs she will look at them but them walk away a thx for advice

 

[rosemarythyme]

ok she must not be because she is pulling feather from her breast and fuffing up as she walks around the pen but she has not really seemed to care for eggs she will look at them but them walk away a thx for advice

If you're hoping to encourage her to hatch, pile up some fake eggs (do not let her sit on real fertilized ones) and maybe the sight/feel of a clutch will help get her to commit. Add real eggs after she proves she will sit consistently.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

How many eggs does she have?

 

[calychicken]

That is normal. I have a hen who was going broody, they just become protective. Yes, they would do this when they want to have babies because they are trying to deter the other hens. Once she is fully committed and sitting, move her and her eggs to a separate cage to avoid squabbles. You might also try to break her broodiness by placing her in a cage in the coop with food and water so she cannot access the eggs. She should stop behaving like this in a few days.

Edit: Also, some hens just have this hardwired into their brains to do that.

 

[Littledinostaurs]

How many eggs does she have?

5