Broody hen questions

[saraem]

I posted yesterday on the emergency/illness forum thinking that there might be something wrong with my 6 month old Buff O. I was shocked to hear that her puffing up and being more vocal (but acting normally otherwise) may be a sign of her going broody.

Having looked at some photos and videos online, I feel pretty confident that's a good possibility. However...

She is not yet sitting, and as of yesterday was still laying. If we want to break her, do I need to DO anything at this stage (she's up and walking around the yard with her flockmate all on her own).

If we want to break her, at what stage should I begin (as soon as she starts sitting I assume?)

We have 6 eggs currently incubating...they're on Day 9 now. If we decide to give her the chicks, does it matter that she won't sit for a full 21 days? Is there a minimum that she must sit for before accepting the chicks? Do the chicks need to be brand new or can they be 1-2 days old?

Thanks!!

 

[saraem]

Here is what she's doing...puffing up her feathers, flapping her wings more and holding them out as though she's hot even though the weather has gotten much cooler, and being much more vocal than normal. Look like a hen going broody?

 

[junebuggena]

Yep, that looks like a hen that is about to go broody. The hormones are there, just not quite strong enough yet for her to sit.

 

[carlf]

Wont matter if she doesn't sit for 21 days.
Put some fake eggs/golf balls in the nest box. Remove any real eggs. Once she stops laying & starts sitting on the nest, leave her alone other than to remove any real eggs.
Then when the chicks hatch, take the fake eggs out and put the peeps under her.
Most likely she will immediately adopt them.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

One of my BO girls does this EVERY DAY since she started laying eggs last December. I can't help but get tickled at her, as soon as she jumps from the roost in the a.m. I can hear her start that clucking. She proceeds down the ramp, a cluck for each step she makes - puffed out like a porcupine. Cluck, step, cluck, step. Gets her treat, then off she goes to do her thing, then throughout the day I see her doing this occasionally. Heaven's to Betsy no one better even look at her if she is laying an egg, she screeches at anything that moves. She has never "sat" for more than a few hours (when it was really hot, the coop was cooler, so the girls would linger in the boxes for a while), I think she is just playing broody.

Love the video. This behavior cracks me up. She's lovely.

 

[saraem]

Mine must be playing broody too! She's still laying and chasing bugs around the yard, just all puffed up and noisy lol.