Broody hen?

[bpoore04]

Hi I was wondering if one of my hens are going broody? I collect my eggs everyday, and one day she will be sitting on them and won’t let me get them out from under her so I’ll just leave them but I come back the next day and she isn’t sitting. But then the next day she will be sitting again. It is about every other day she decides to sit on them, and then leaves them the next day. I have no clue what her deal is and was wondering if you guys might. Thanks

 

[janiedoe]

Some of my hens like to linger after they lay. If they are broody they will sleep in the nesting box. They also growl at me when I gather the eggs.
I do have one broody who starts out like that. She always settles in after 3 or 4 days of hopping on and off the nest. I give her eggs after a week. She growl and bites when she gets broody. She is a tiny terror when broody, but a sweetheart the rest of the time.

 

[Pretty Birds]

Some hens just like to spend more time in the nesting box. Is she puffing out her feathers and growling when come close to her? If a hen spends the night sitting in the nesting box then she is probably broody.

 

[LikeTurkeys]

Agreed with the above two posts. My hens actually spend quite some time after they've laid their eggs, and some even hiss while laying. But unless they're actually puffed up at you and growling/hissing, maybe even when out of the box, then they're probably not broody. Also when they're truly broody, like others have said, they will start spending all their time in the box, including at night.

 

[bpoore04]

Some hens just like to spend more time in the nesting box. Is she puffing out her feathers and growling when come close to her? If a hen spends the night sitting in the nesting box then she is probably broody.

She flattens out like a pancake and makes a cluck cluck cluck sound. She is in there at dark when the others are roosting, but that is only on some days

 

[LikeTurkeys]

She flattens out like a pancake and makes a cluck cluck cluck sound. She is in there at dark when the others are roosting, but that is only on some days

Classic! She may start sitting continually then soon. Mine did that before they were fully committed.

 

[bpoore04]

Classic! She may start sitting continually then soon. Mine did that before they were fully committed.

So you think she will eventually go completely broody?

 

[LikeTurkeys]

So you think she will eventually go completely broody?

I think she may. What's her breed?

 

[bpoore04]

I think she may. What's her breed?

Buff Orpington. She will be a year old in April

 

[LikeTurkeys]

How long has she been doing this? Do you have a rooster? Can you tell if she is still laying eggs or not?