Broody hen, but no roster....???

[roockeychick]

I have 2 speckled Sussex hens and no roster. One of my hens has been sitting on the nest since last night. We noticed her out once this AM, but the rest of the time on the nest. We purchased both April 1! She is 9 months old. So that was the last exposure to a roster. She looks fine. How long do I let her continue before I should get worried. Do they get "broody" without a roster?? Thanks for any answers! Oh they have one nest box
Sorry being a newegg it looks as though I have posted on the wrong thread.

 

[auburn]

Hens can indeed go broody without a rooster! The problem of course is that without a rooster, none of those eggs are fertilized, and so none will hatch. Depending on whether or not you want chicks, you can always purchase some fertilized eggs from a nearby farm and stick those under her.

We've had a lot of hens go "broody" only to give up a bit later. Interestingly, when our one black star went broody, other hens in the coop began to mimic her behavior, minus the actual part about incubating the eggs 24/7. It was more like a passing fancy they'd have for a few hours and then be done.

If she's indeed broody, then she'll likely have her whole body fluffed up and flattened over the nest. She'll also growl at you, sometimes just for approaching, sometimes for trying to take eggs. Some girls will even peck so be careful!

If she's showing this behavior and is spending almost all her time on the nest, then chances are she's broody. The question is whether or not you want a broody hen. There are multiple ways to break a hen out of a broody but I'll leave that to someone else to explain, as I've never done it before. You could also always let her sit it out but she won't be laying the entire time so it's not usually a favored idea.

 

[roockeychick]

Thanks for your help. I made another nest box and put it beside her so the other hen could use it.