BROODY QUESTIONS!

[Wolftalk]

Okay guys, heres the dealio, today I came home from school at 4:00pm and went out to get my eggs, right, okay well first I knew something was up because I couldnt see my favorite hen. So I open up the door to grab the eggs she is sitting where all my hens lay thier eggs. So I tried to shew her with my hand and she got all puffed up and wouldnt move! All of my chickens are sebright or sebright cross chickens, which arent known to go broody so im wondering if she is broody. I REALLY WANT HER TO BE BROODY!!! Here are some other things I noticed. My one sebright rooster was acting partuculary dissagreeable when I was going to give them water. I dont know if that means anything or not, but i just noticed. Also when I was peeking through the window my rooster came tearing up the ladder and into the roost area near the broody hen then, not only did she puff up and not move, SHE MADE HISSING SOUNDS AT HIM!!!!! Does it sound like shes broody to you? Also there was one other egg that she was not sitting on and one of my other hens came and sat down on it too. I have never had a broody before and so I would love any info you can give me. Here are some questions I wonder:

1) My hen is about 10 months old is that too young to go broody? Will she abandon her eggs if i let her set the first time?
2) Will her being Broody make any of my other hens broody?
3) Does my rooster know or care that she is broody? Does it have any effect on her?
4) Isnt it a little bit late (4:00pm) to be just laying an egg? (She typically lays about noon.)
5) Is there such thing when a broody just randomly abandons her eggs?

Any info you got will help me out. Thank You BYC!

 

[ajneal30]

I can't answer all of your questions, but I will do my best. I had three hens go broody last year. They all acted like your hen is acting now, the puffing up and hissing or growling noises are common. Mine actually got a crazy look in their eyes and screeched at me every time I got too close. I didn't notice any different behavior in the rooster though. All three of my hens abandoned the nest, then another one would take over and then that one would abandon it. Needless to say the hatch wasn't very good. We only got one chick and the hen promptly rejected it. Hope your broody does better than mine did!

 

[Wolftalk]

Thank you very much for your help! And im sorry about your broody experiance, I hope it goes better next time!