Broody hen or not?

[eighthens525]

I have a hen who acts broody when she is in her nesting box and she will stay in there for an hour or so after she lays but then she continues on her business and leaves the coop. I want her to be broody. Should I leave her eggs in the box in the hopes that one day soon she will decide to park it? Does it take them some time to stay in the nesting box more full time?

 

[IvysAnimals]

How old is she? She sounds broody...If she's leaving the nest, then it's best not to let her hatch and do it with a incubator instead. You might have to wait until mid summer ( if you're still in spring ) To let her think it through and hatch chicks

 

[eighthens525]

She is 8 months old. Her eggs still aren't totally full sized yet. I was wondering if maybe she's just getting the idea of being broody but not fully committed to it yet.

 

[IvysAnimals]

Younger poultry tend to be broody and not under stand anything in their first year or two....She's probably just still trying to figure it out

 

[Yardmom]

An hour a day is not fully broody. Many hens hang out on the nest after they lay. A full broody hen will be off the nest less than an hour a day. If they are staying on the nest at night it is time to start thinking about what eggs you want to put under a hen. As far as leaving eggs on the nest to see if you can get her hormones to swing enough to make her broody you can give it a try. Occasionally it is enough to tip a hen to broody. Although I would wait, unless you have other eggs that are from mature hens, to give the eggs the best chance of hatching.

 

[eighthens525]

Now she is sitting on eggs about 4 hours a day then leaving. Think she's getting closer to being full on broody??