Broody or sick?

[HarleyBarley]

When I opened the coop this morning one of my Australorps stayed behind on the roost. I didn't really think too much of it right away. Now she's in one of 2 nesting boxes, and another hen was crammed inside and actively laying an egg. She obviously wasn't happy about it. Another hen walked up and she raised her feathers and screeched. This seems broody to me but also I've never had an egg bound hen either so I'm not sure.

Thanks.

 

[sourland]

Sounds like broody behavior to me. The next day or so will tell the tale.

 

[HarleyBarley]

Sounds like broody behavior to me. The next day or so will tell the tale.

This hen is only like 6 or 7 months old. Is it bad to let her go broody this young?

 

[aart]

Another hen walked up and she raised her feathers and screeched.

Non-broody birds will do this too.
Nest box contention.

How long has she been laying?
Did she lay an egg yesterday after the nest 'fight'?
Is she acting otherwise OK...eating/drinking/pooping/moving around?

Here are 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.

 

[HarleyBarley]

Non-broody birds will do this too.
Nest box contention.

How long has she been laying?
Did she lay an egg yesterday after the nest 'fight'?
Is she acting otherwise OK...eating/drinking/pooping/moving around?

Here are 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.

So she never did anything else weird after that. She's out and about with the other hens. I suspect she's one I'll have to keep my eyes on though for going broody.