Broody chicken???

[Bring]

I have 7 hens and only one is laying right now. The others are still a bit young. I have cochins. There is another hen that has a huge comb and wattle and I am expecting her to start laying in about a month or so. Well this morning I looked out and all my chickens were in the backyard hunting for grasshoppers and I noticed the hen with the huge wattles was missing. I went out and checked in the coop. There she was in a nesting box. Usually when I open the coop door they all run away from me. She just layed there. I tried to shoo her out of the box to see if she had layed anything and she wouldn't budge. I literally had to pic her up to look under her. There was no egg. She hasn't started laying yet. Is the behavior she's exhibiting broodiness? Can a chicken go broody before she's even layed an egg yet? I was very suprised she let me get that close to her let alone pic her up. She didn't even try to get away. When I put her back down she just stayed in the box.

 

[Countrywife]

Might be beginning broody, but also might just be getting ready to lay her egg. I would leave her alone, and see what happens. I don't call them broody till they don't move at all voluntarily for at least a day.

 

[shawnm2639]

Ok stupid question...I was wondering by that comment on the volunteerly moving thing. I seem to have missplaced 2 of my 8 BR hens and I just figured a preditor got them. I thought if they went broody somewhere (under the house, in the woods etc) they would at least come out once a day and eat and drink like the peahens do. Am I wroing? I have 6 left and get 6 eggs a day but none of them are sitting. AND if they do...how long will it take to hatch eggs...do I have any hope that my girls are under the house?

 

[Kittymomma]

When my BR went broody the first time she would only show up every few days for less then an hour. It took me a week before I could find her nest and get her off of it--no fertile eggs at that time.

If you can just keep checking throughout the day to see if you can catch sight of her. Listen for any extra fussing amongst your remaining hens. The rest of my flock got pretty agitated when the BR would show up. I guess she was gone so much they forgot she belonged there so they didn't treat her very well when she'd try to get to the feeder.

 

[Happy Chooks]

I say she's practicing to lay her 1st egg. My girls practiced a lot before laying.