Broody or sick?

[chickenbritt5908]

When I got off work today, I went out to the coop to let my flock out. My little EE bantam was in a nesting box. No biggie, I frequently walk in on egg laying. I just went back out to close up shop and she was still in the box. I pushed her a little bit to see her reaction. She didn’t peck at me or really move at all. She made a low growling noise and when I provoked her a little more, she coo’d at me a little bit. So I felt like maybe she’s broody? I tried to give her a couple eggs to see if she would take them, and she wouldn’t. Refused to move. I have 16 pullets. 8-9 laying frequently. I brought in 8 eggs. So she is most likely only sitting on 2, one of which is ceramic. Thoughts? If she’s broody, that’s fine. But I’m worried she’s sick.

 

[NuggetTheChicken]

Sounds like she is broody

 

[Wyorp Rock]

When I got off work today, I went out to the coop to let my flock out. My little EE bantam was in a nesting box. No biggie, I frequently walk in on egg laying. I just went back out to close up shop and she was still in the box. I pushed her a little bit to see her reaction. She didn’t peck at me or really move at all. She made a low growling noise and when I provoked her a little more, she coo’d at me a little bit. So I felt like maybe she’s broody? I tried to give her a couple eggs to see if she would take them, and she wouldn’t. Refused to move. I have 16 pullets. 8-9 laying frequently. I brought in 8 eggs. So she is most likely only sitting on 2, one of which is ceramic. Thoughts? If she’s broody, that’s fine. But I’m worried she’s sick.

The low growling makes me think she's broody. But it won't hurt to check her out more.
If she's broody, do you plan on letting her sit (incubate fertilized eggs)? If you have no plans for letting her hatch out eggs, then it would be a good idea to break her.

 

[chickenbritt5908]

The low growling makes me think she's broody. But it won't hurt to check her out more.
If she's broody, do you plan on letting her sit (incubate fertilized eggs)? If you have no plans for letting her hatch out eggs, then it would be a good idea to break her.

I’m fine with her sitting. We have tons of room and I’m never upset about more chickens.

 

[aart]

Here's my go to broody 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?
If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.

Not sure if you'll want to separate her or not.....
When I have a broody I wait until she's been in the nest most the day and all night for 2-3 days...along with those other signs I posted.

Then I put her in the broody enclosure with fake eggs in the floor nest, she won't like being moved, but if she is truly good and broody she will settle onto the new nest within a half a day. Then I give her fresh fertile eggs and mark the calendar.

I like them separated by wire from the flock, it's just easier all around.
No having to mark eggs and remove any additions daily, no taking up a laying nest, no going back to the wrong nest after the daily constitutional.

​

 

[chickenbritt5908]

Here's my go to broody 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?
If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.

Not sure if you'll want to separate her or not.....
When I have a broody I wait until she's been in the nest most the day and all night for 2-3 days...along with those other signs I posted.

Then I put her in the broody enclosure with fake eggs in the floor nest, she won't like being moved, but if she is truly good and broody she will settle onto the new nest within a half a day. Then I give her fresh fertile eggs and mark the calendar.

I like them separated by wire from the flock, it's just easier all around.
No having to mark eggs and remove any additions daily, no taking up a laying nest, no going back to the wrong nest after the daily constitutional.

​

That’s super helpful. Thank you. I went out and checked on her before I left for work today and she was still in her box. I’ll see what happens when I move her out, if she lets me, this afternoon.

 

[chickenbritt5908]

Well I’m pretty sure she’s broody. I moved her last night and it was a no go. She was very insistent that she stay in the nest. I placed two more eggs with the egg she had and she nestled in with them.
Ive seen opinions that we should intervene and move broody hens to their own space and I’ve seen others to say let them be.
I don’t have a separate coop for her. I could set something up in a wire dog crate I have. Would that be the best bet? Or should I leave her be.

 

[aart]

Would the crate fit in the coop.....or can you put up a temporary wire wall to separate her?

Here are the reasons why I have chosen to seclude a setting broody within the coop behind a wire wall.....
Other birds adding eggs to nest, broody going back to wrong nest after daily constitutional, broody taking up one of needed nests, other bird harassing broody, not knowing if broody comes off of nest to eat/drink/poop.
I remove wire wall about a week after hatch.
Lots of ways to do it, some work better than others for different keepers.

When I have a broody I wait until she's been in the nest most the day and all night for 2-3 days...along with those other signs I posted.

Then I put her in the broody enclosure with fake eggs in the floor nest, she won't like being moved, but if she is truly good and broody she will settle onto the new nest within a half a day.
Then I give her fresh fertile eggs and mark the calendar.

I like them separated by wire from the flock, it's just easier all around.
No having to mark eggs and remove any additions daily, no taking up a laying nest, no going back to the wrong nest after the daily constitutional.

 

[chickenbritt5908]

Would the crate fit in the coop.....or can you put up a temporary wire wall to separate her?

Here are the reasons why I have chosen to seclude a setting broody within the coop behind a wire wall.....
Other birds adding eggs to nest, broody going back to wrong nest after daily constitutional, broody taking up one of needed nests, other bird harassing broody, not knowing if broody comes off of nest to eat/drink/poop.
I remove wire wall about a week after hatch.
Lots of ways to do it, some work better than others for different keepers.

When I have a broody I wait until she's been in the nest most the day and all night for 2-3 days...along with those other signs I posted.

Then I put her in the broody enclosure with fake eggs in the floor nest, she won't like being moved, but if she is truly good and broody she will settle onto the new nest within a half a day.
Then I give her fresh fertile eggs and mark the calendar.

I like them separated by wire from the flock, it's just easier all around.
No having to mark eggs and remove any additions daily, no taking up a laying nest, no going back to the wrong nest after the daily constitutional.

Yes, we have a very large coop. I actually have a crate in there already with a couple pullets I've been preparing to add to the flock. I could probably let them out now and get her set up in there. I could lay a towel over the crate so she feels like she has more privacy.
How do I need to set up the nest inside the crate? The eggs she is sitting on are fertilized. Or they should be anyway, we have a rooster and I've hatched some of their eggs in the incubator a couple months ago.

 

[chickenbritt5908]

I guess she wasn't broody enough. I put her in the new set up and it freaked her out. Broke her broodiness.