Broody or just angry?

Feb 13, 2021
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My smallest hen is a road island red she is sassy and it took a long time for her to let me pick her up (she’s been that since she was little) she also thinks she’s top hen she has gotten mean with the other hens but she normally doesn’t ruffle her neck feathers at me she just talks and walks away now she is squawking at the other chickens ruffling her neck feathers at me and the other hens when she usually doesn’t is she just going to Broody or should I be worrying about something else going on a she is year old been somewhat broody she’d peck me if I tried to take her eggs / other hens she is eating and drinking normally and she’ll sit by me
 
You are probably on a small device but can you try to punctuate a little. That would make it a lot easier to read and understand.

My test to see if a hen is broody is where she spends the night. If she spends two consecutive nights on the nest instead of her typical roosting spot she is broody. If she doesn't spend two consecutive nights on the nest she may be thinking about going broody but really hasn't.
 
she’d peck me if I tried to take her eggs
Even non-broody birds will do that.

My go-to signs of a broody:

Is she on nest most the day and all night?
When you pull her out of nest and put her on the ground, does she flatten right back out into a fluffy screeching pancake?
Does she walk around making a low cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck(ticking bomb) sound on her way back to the nest?

If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.
 
Even non-broody birds will do that.

My go-to signs of a broody:

Is she on nest most the day and all night?
When you pull her out of nest and put her on the ground, does she flatten right back out into a fluffy screeching pancake?
Does she walk around making a low cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck(ticking bomb) sound on her way back to the nest?

If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.
Last year one one last year and she wouldn’t move. I had to pull her out watch her eat made sure she pooped and drank a little. They say they get up but I camped outside and watch she never did. She also spend her nights on the nest and when it was 90+ outside. Maybe this hen is just feeling a little sassy. I hate saying it but she’s at the bottom of the pecking order. She’s small not terribly but she’s got a big attitude / very chatty.
 
You are probably on a small device but can you try to punctuate a little. That would make it a lot easier to read and understand.

My test to see if a hen is broody is where she spends the night. If she spends two consecutive nights on the nest instead of her typical roosting spot she is broody. If she doesn't spend two consecutive nights on the nest she may be thinking about going broody but really hasn't.
I’m sorry I was in a rush. But she does sleep on a roost, I have a little baby cam in my hen house. And she will sit on the eggs for a while, maybe an hour or two and then leaves.
 
But she does sleep on a roost, I have a little baby cam in my hen house. And she will sit on the eggs for a while, maybe an hour or two and then leaves.
She may be thinking about going broody but not there yet. Look for 2-3 of the signs that aart listed in her post, and if you see that, especially the staying on the nest overnight, then she's broody.
 
she does sleep on a roost, I have a little baby cam in my hen house. And she will sit on the eggs for a while, maybe an hour or two and then leaves.
Then she is not broody enough to trust to hatch eggs. If she does go full on broody and you want her to hatch, start with fresh eggs. You want them to all hatch at the same time.

I don't know what kind of experience you have about hatching eggs with a broody. You may already know everything you need to know.

Do you want her to hatch eggs or not? Do you have a rooster so the eggs are fertile? If so, do you plan to isolate her or let her hatch with the flock? If you need help with any of this now is a good time to ask.
 
Then she is not broody enough to trust to hatch eggs. If she does go full on broody and you want her to hatch, start with fresh eggs. You want them to all hatch at the same time.

I don't know what kind of experience you have about hatching eggs with a broody. You may already know everything you need to know.

Do you want her to hatch eggs or not? Do you have a rooster so the eggs are fertile? If so, do you plan to isolate her or let her hatch with the flock? If you need help with any of this now is a good time to ask.
I do not have the space for her to hatch babies out. I have a 4 foot wide 8 feet long and 5 feet tall coop. I do not have a rooster I pulled her off the nest she was sitting for over 3 hours. And she fluffed up she was loud too. She did eat some banana a few hours ago but she’s running around now. I have delt and broke a broody hen before it’s not fun I just wanted to know some early signs.
 
Even non-broody birds will do that.

My go-to signs of a broody:

Is she on nest most the day and all night?
When you pull her out of nest and put her on the ground, does she flatten right back out into a fluffy screeching pancake?
Does she walk around making a low cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck(ticking bomb) sound on her way back to the nest?

If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.
She fluffed up screeched for a bit. She did not try to go back to the nest so I took her into the garage and got her a snack. They have access to food water shelter and 3/4 of a acre I just like to make she they eat good. My broody hen last year didn’t want to eat / it took awhile to get her to eat and drink on her own.
 

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