Broody, or Confused?

[MrsCamping]

I have a hen that just laid her first egg this morning and is already very defensive of it and nearly impossible to get out of the nestbox. I finally got her out and took the egg away (and disposed of it, since it was warm ). She went right back to the box and is sitting in it without the egg. Is this true broodiness, or is she just confused about what to do??

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

Why did you throw away the egg? All you did was throw away a perfectly fine egg. Even if you have a rooster, sitting on it for the day won't develop it and even if you do have a roo, first eggs aren't usually fertile and sitting on it for the day won't make it go rotten.

If she sleeps in the nest box, yes she is broody. Sounds like she is

 

[MrsCamping]

We don't have a rooster. I'm not really comfortable with eating an egg that's been under a hen in 95 degree weather. And it was about a third of the size of a regular egg anyway.

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

Well, up to you.
What breed is she? My Cochin went broody about a month after laying, some breeds go at the drop of a hat, sounds like this girl will

 

[MrsCamping]

She's a buff orpington.

 

[Jwhitty]

So what do you do if a hen goes broody?

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

Either leather hatch chicks / give her chicks, or break her

 

[MrsCamping]

Give her chicks? Meaning I can just go buy some chicks and put her in a pen with them??

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

Well, sorta. First makes she's broody, keep her in seperate area and let her brood for a night or 2 to make sure she's determined, then one day (or night) stick the chicks under her. Don't let her look at them and leave her be. In a few hours (or so) she'll get off the nest and then start acting like a mom. She has to think they hatched under her though, so that's why she'll stay on for a while and you shouldn't show them to her.
That said, some moms are awful and ditch the eggs after hatching. We have a hen who did that twice, and this year we had her brood with another hen, and she stayed, but she pulled and broke off the chicks feathers so she's banned from mothering. Lol.

 

[MrsCamping]

I just went to check on her, and she's walking around the yard, eating. Maybe she just didn't know what to do after she laid the egg since it was her first? I guess I'll see tomorrow . . . .