Not-so Slick Chicken
Songster
- Mar 3, 2025
- 362
- 548
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I'm wondering if I'm seeing beginning signs of a potential broody pullet?
Over the past week, I have thrice seen her try to sleep in the nesting boxes. I encouraged her to leave each time and she returned to the roost.
All the birds roost nightly without incident, and I've checked for mites and haven't noticed any (doesn't mean there aren't, just that I haven't found any and all the birds roost...)
My flock of chickens is 5-6 months old (hatched first week of December 2024)
They all go out in the morning. I've never noticed any just -staying- in a nest. If they are in the nest box during the day, I quickly leave so I don't disturb them and check back in like an hour to collect eggs, and they're gone back with the flock doing chicken things.
Today (an hour ago, about mid morning) I went out and there was an egg, AND a few chicken down feathers in the nest with the egg. Which these pullets have never done before.
I only have 2 barred pullets. One is the pullet in question who has been trying to sleep in the box.
I returned the feathers to the nest.
So... is this a sign one is about to go broody? Or is there just some weird thing where they left some down feathers? I tried to look this up before posting here, but just wasn't having luck finding examples like this.
*please note, in nest picture, the big egg is a ceramic nest egg. Some of my nest boxes have one.
Over the past week, I have thrice seen her try to sleep in the nesting boxes. I encouraged her to leave each time and she returned to the roost.
All the birds roost nightly without incident, and I've checked for mites and haven't noticed any (doesn't mean there aren't, just that I haven't found any and all the birds roost...)
My flock of chickens is 5-6 months old (hatched first week of December 2024)
They all go out in the morning. I've never noticed any just -staying- in a nest. If they are in the nest box during the day, I quickly leave so I don't disturb them and check back in like an hour to collect eggs, and they're gone back with the flock doing chicken things.
Today (an hour ago, about mid morning) I went out and there was an egg, AND a few chicken down feathers in the nest with the egg. Which these pullets have never done before.
I only have 2 barred pullets. One is the pullet in question who has been trying to sleep in the box.
I returned the feathers to the nest.
So... is this a sign one is about to go broody? Or is there just some weird thing where they left some down feathers? I tried to look this up before posting here, but just wasn't having luck finding examples like this.
*please note, in nest picture, the big egg is a ceramic nest egg. Some of my nest boxes have one.