Broody hen????????

[chickorama]

We have a hen that we are pretty sure is broody. She is constantly on her nest, she only gets up to eat. She has no belly feathers, and it looks like she plucked them. Is this a bad sign???
Is she broody?? will she lay eggs while she is broody?? She has been sitting on the other's eggs,too. I never see her off her nest, except when she is eating. We are pretty sure but not positive that she is a golden laced Wyanndotte. Do they set?? Please tell me!!!!!!!

 

[Chirpy]

Sounds like she is broody. Any breed can go breed, some are more prone to it than others.

She will stop laying eggs while she is broody.

If you have fertile eggs and want her to hatch them, then put some under her and let her sit for roughly 21 days on them.

If you don't have fertile eggs and want her to hatch some then you need to get some from somebody either in driving distance or through the mail. Then put them under her to sit on.

If you don't want her to stay broody and hatch eggs you need to try and break her. The best method that I've heard is to put her in an all wire cage with NO bedding; just food and water. You may need to hang it so that she isn't on solid ground with her footing just on the wire. Usually after a few days to a week she will stop her broodiness and get back to being a 'regular' chicken.

 

[jvls1942]

sounds broody to me... is it bad? it depends on if you want her to be or not.. take her out of the nest and set her on the ground.. if her feathers puff and she either squats or else walks with her wings at half mast and her head down, she is broody.. some hens will peck at you and give out what sounds like a chicken growl..

and will she set?? her ancestors did, why wouldn't she??

to break her from being broody is a whole 'nuther subject.. post that question separately..

...........jiminwisc...........

 

[chickorama]

Thank you you guys! no need to break it, we'll just let her hatch some chicks. I would hate to keep her in a tiny cage with no bedding! ( our chickens have a huge coop, and we give them leftovers.We spoil them!!!

)

 

[swtangel321]

Quote:
Ohhh lucky you !!!!! Another thing.... Make sure you mark the eggs she has under her now, just in case any other hens are laying there. You dont want eggs to keep being added to her nest !!!!

 

[ginasmarans]

I agree with the others. Looks s though you will have some little fluffy butts running about. It's normal for them to have few or no feathers on their belly. It's the skin that warms the eggs,not the feathers.