Broody or mean?

[Athiena14]

This less than a year old hen has taken a turn on her attitude in the past couple of days. She would run out of the nesting box if I disturbed her. She now tells at me and bites me after laying an egg. Shes spending more time on the nest after laying.

Shes an ee x buff orpington. Her mom used to be extremely agressive if on the nest while laying but got off right away after laying. Curious on your thoughts

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I have a lot of nasty hens on the nest. They are being protective, and it's normal. If she stays on the nest through the night than they are broody.

 

[chrissynemetz]

Idk, that just looked mean. If you take her off the nest does she immediately go right back?

 

[Athiena14]

Idk, that just looked mean. If you take her off the nest does she immediately go right back?

At that moment yes. About 5 hours later she was off the nest

 

[aart]

That didn't look mean to me at all...looked like she was being pretty tolerant of you messing with her while she was getting ready to lay.
Most hens will peck at you if you reach under them to get eggs,
some are more vicious than others,
and some will run screaming from the nest the minute you put your hand anywhere near them.

Wishful thinking(you want her to be broody) may be influencing your assessment?
You've had broodies before, I think, so know the signs?
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?

 

[Athiena14]

That didn't look mean to me at all...looked like she was being pretty tolerant of you messing with her while she was getting ready to lay.
Most hens will peck at you if you reach under them to get eggs,
some are more vicious than others,
and some will run screaming from the nest the minute you put your hand anywhere near them.

Wishful thinking(you want her to be broody) may be influencing your assessment?
You've had broodies before, I think, so know the signs?
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?

More like wishfully hoping. I only ended up having a broody turkey before that had the same reaction. Would be like this while getting a clutch together and then sitting when she had a good enough size.

Shes only sitting in the day for the few hours and then off the rest. She just started this behavior recently so wondering if this might be prebroody? (If such a thing lol) I left the eggs there and something ended up coming in and taking the eggs along with a fake one.

I didnt try to take her off the nest so unsure. She was off about 5 hours later with everyone else like normal.

 

[aart]

Shes only sitting in the day for the few hours and then off the rest. She just started this behavior recently so wondering if this might be prebroody?

Ehhh...maybe.
I have a few 'loungers' that sit on the nest before and after laying.
Key for me would be if she's in the nest at night...and by then she would be doing the broody cluck and the 'pancake puddle'.

 

[Athiena14]

Latest shes been on the nest. Seems like she knows which is the fake egg XD. Hope she sits over night

 

[Oncoming Storm]

She might be gathering her clutch, where she lays a certain number before starting to really commit to them. She seemed pretty chill with you messing with her. My broody hen does the ‘screeching pancake’ as @aart said and the clucking. Broody hens won’t stay on the nest all the time to eat and drink or maybe it’s just my girl. But if she is kicking out the fake egg she’s obviously checking up on them so it’s possible she wants some little puff balls.

 

[Athiena14]

She might be gathering her clutch, where she lays a certain number before starting to really commit to them. She seemed pretty chill with you messing with her. My broody hen does the ‘screeching pancake’ as @aart said and the clucking. Broody hens won’t stay on the nest all the time to eat and drink or maybe it’s just my girl. But if she is kicking out the fake egg she’s obviously checking up on them so it’s possible she wants some little puff balls.

So far theres 8 real and 2 fakes. I'm hoping she is just gathering. Shes one of my favorites that I hatched out last year.