Broody hen? What do I need to do if she is?

[Dalylah]

Hello everyone! I have 5 hens that are around 4/ 1/2 to 5 months old and only one chicken has started laying although I don’t think it was my RIR but it could be, anyways, so I got a ceramic egg because the chicken was laying somewhere else and so I put the ceramic egg in the nesting boxes to in courage her to lay in there. Today my RIR kept putting the ceramic egg under her and sitting on it and calling. I assume she is broody but isn’t she a little young to go broody, but if she is what should I do? She is leaving the coop for food and water though.

 

[MarkJr]

Set back and observe. If she sets at night instead of roosting, then she’s broody.

She may just be camping for a bit. Several of my girls roll the fake eggs under them when they lay.

 

[Dalylah]

Set back and observe. If she sets at night instead of roosting, then she’s broody.

She may just be camping for a bit. Several of my girls roll the fake eggs under them when they lay.

Ok thank you, and also I just watched one of my other hens peck the hen that was trying to lay, is there a way to get her to stop bullying the other hens? I don’t want to have to get rid of her but she is very mean to them.

 

[MarkJr]

I’m new enough that bullying behavior is unfamiliar with me. Does she only peck when the other hens are trying to lay?

How large is your coop (feet x feet) and how many chickens are in there ?

 

[Dalylah]

I’m new enough that bullying behavior is unfamiliar with me. Does she only peck when the other hens are trying to lay?

How large is your coop (feet x feet) and how many chickens are in there ?

Well my chickens are free range so they have plenty of space but the nesting boxes are kind of small so when one hen goes in she follows and try’s to get in the nesting box with her and then pecks her

 

[CHlCKEN]

Hello everyone! I have 5 hens that are around 4/ 1/2 to 5 months old and only one chicken has started laying although I don’t think it was my RIR but it could be, anyways, so I got a ceramic egg because the chicken was laying somewhere else and so I put the ceramic egg in the nesting boxes to in courage her to lay in there. Today my RIR kept putting the ceramic egg under her and sitting on it and calling. I assume she is broody but isn’t she a little young to go broody, but if she is what should I do? She is leaving the coop for food and water though.

Oh no well first of all you can learn some broody tricks online. I had a semi broody hen who wouldn’t leave the nest but she was bad at sitting on eggs because she would get out to go eat treats when I brought them and sometimes forgot to go back. Luckily though she was super bad at being broody bc I had a rooster!

 

[MarkJr]

Well my chickens are free range so they have plenty of space but the nesting boxes are kind of small so when one hen goes in she follows and try’s to get in the nesting box with her and then pecks her

If it’s just during egg laying..... I’d swear fifty boxes and three hens.... they’ll fight over the same one

 

[Dalylah]

If it’s just during egg laying..... I’d swear fifty boxes and three hens.... they’ll fight over the same one

Thank you

 

[LizzzyJo]

A little bullying is normal. It may take a while to establish the pecking order and you should be able to tell who’s at the top and the bottom yourself. The bottom hens will get pecked, but it shouldn’t be severe with blood. Maybe a bite on a comb every few weeks. If it worse than this and never ceases, then remove the bully for a week away from others. Then put her back in. This should put her at the bottom and may help.
For the possible broody I concur with others to wait it out. If she sleeps down there then test her for a few days with fake eggs. If she stays on then then maybe consider getting her some hatching eggs. She’s so young though that I wouldn’t get expensive ones I’d give a bird that young around a 30% chance of setting. But others may have had great success with this! If you don’t want her broody then some people say a quick little ice bath can help. I’d do some searching.