Broody in winter

[chicknmania]

So I think this is so strange that I thought I'd share. Like lots of other places in the US, we are going through a bitter cold snap. Temperatures have been in the single digits here every night and in the low teens during the day, for about a week now. One of my little Partridge Wyandot bantam hens went broody today. Now, she and her sister always go broody several times in warm weather, but in winter? Never til now. And I started wondering what would have caused her to go broody. I just wonder if her being constantly fluffed up (as she would be when broody, but in this case because of the cold) would have triggered something in her tiny little brain and set off her hormones? Seems unlikely, but anything is possible..... I won't let her continue with it beyond a day or so, if she doesn't break it herself, for obvious reasons, but it is just weird.

 

[red horse ranch]

I've had hens confused when they start to molt and they think they are broody. I've also had hens really be broody in the winter. I just put them out of the nest (sometimes several times a day) until they come to their senses.
We are having the bitter cold too and several of my hens want to stay in the nest all day, probably because it's warmer.

 

[chickens really]

I have two Broody right now and Alberta is being hit hard with Arctic weather too..Hens can become Broody anytime of the year..

 

[chicknmania]

I have two Broody right now and Alberta is being hit hard with Arctic weather too..Hens can become Broody anytime of the year..

I understand that they CAN, I was just theorizing as to why. That's why I brought up the fluffed up feathers.

 

[aart]

Usually when a hen gets broody it's because she wants her eggs to be fertilized. She could also be irritated by the other hens (explains why she would be fluffed up). Sometimes you just don't really know why. If it gets really bad separate her from the other girls until she is better.

Nooo....a bird that goes broody doesn't need to be fertile.

It's all about hormones...I'm betting the fluffing is part of being broody rather than contributing to a bird going broody while fluffing sue to cold.

As to why, I sure the heck don't know, but I have one too, put her in the breaker crate today. SMH.

Maybe they think they are going to die in the cold,
so they decide to procreate before going.
(that is totally facetious BS)

 

[chicknmania]

She's fluffed up because it's freezing cold!!! Thsts how they stay warm.They also fluff up when theyre broody. I just thought there might be some correlation...Oh my. Forget it y'all.