Broody hen or just trying to stay cool.

[Athiena14]

So this hen has been like this half the day and now she is piling up leaves around her. The rest of The hen has been digging dugouts in the Dirt to lay in to keep coolBut have not stayed in them. This is my 1st one to do this is she Being broody Or just trying to stay cool?

 

[Chickens4Life101]

Is she puffy? And are there eggs under her? If yes then she is being broody

 

[Athiena14]

No eggs not sure what you mean by puffy

 

[Chickens4Life101]

No eggs not sure what you mean by puffy

I mean her feathers being all ruffled up across her body

 

[Athiena14]

She wont let me close enough to see lol the long grass keeps me from seeing.

 

[Athiena14]

I lied. She got off to eat and there is an egg. She had buried it under the leaves

 

[Chickens4Life101]

Ok, then I do think she is being broody.

 

[Athiena14]

The issue I have.... is it isn't where they stay at night. Can I move it to a nest box and she still lay on it?

 

[aart]

I don't think she's broody...yet.
If she's really broody she'll stick tight to a nest even if it's empty.
Staying on nest all day and at night is the first concrete sign of broodiness.

Even a non broody hen will put stuff on her back.
Do they usually lay in the coop nests?

 

[Athiena14]

This is the first egg I've had here. I'm wanting them to lay in the coop nests but they seem reluctant. She would not go into the coop last night, instead slept on the red shelf above where the nest was. I took the egg which was a good thing since there was a rat snake there this morninv