Broody two year old?

[Della]

I have a chicken that I was assuming had oddly taken up the habit of laying her egg in the evening for the past couple of weeks. however, now that I've perused some posts on this forum I'm beginning to think she is actually broody. Can a 2 year old chicken suddenly become broody? I've been raising chickens for 3 years and have never had a broody one before.

 

[DTchickens]

once a hen lays about 11 eggs. (normally) some lay less and go broody. doesn't really matter on age. and most of the time. you wont know their broody until you notice they never come off the nest. what you can do. (get ready to be pecked) she may not. but alot will. put your hand in the nest with her. if she starts making all kinds of noise and doesn't try to move... and she may also peck you. shes broody.

 

[Della]

Yup, that's what she does, she makes grouchy noises and pecks my hand when I try to get the eggs from under her (my husband ends up having to get them for me). I see her out and about occasionally but lately I'm usually missing one chicken so now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure she spends most of her day in the nest. Thanks.

 

[silkiechicken]

Age and presence of eggs seems not to matter to get a broody... I have two under a year old that went crazy in the head and are trying to hatch straw... Genetics often has a big role in the tendency for them to want to sit though.

 

[Red]

We have a BSL who went broody when she was a year old, we managed to snap her out of it, and then every year since then she has gone broody for at least a week or two - she's now four going on five! We've decided that if she goes broody again this year we will get her some fertile eggs to hatch, seeing as she wants to be a mummy so bad, she's such a good hen bless her

As long as she is getting off the nest occasionally to eat, drink and dust bathe she'll be fine. She should snap out of it from anything to a few days up to six weeks (our hen once stayed on for six weeks, but it's not normally that long i don't think!)...This is the perfect time to get some fertile eggs as well if you want chicks

 

[Della]

I'm going to pay more attention to how many chickens are out in the run during the day to make sure she really is eating and drinking.

I know nothing about hatching eggs. If we had her sit on fertile eggs would that eliminate the normal problems associated with introducing new chicks to the flock? I wouldn't mind adding a couple of new young layers but I wasn't going to do it this year because I didn't want to deal with making sure the new ones don't get killed. If this isn't a problem when they are raised by a hen already in the flock, as you said, this could be a great opportunity.

 

[DTchickens]

well i cant really understand what your saying but maybe this will answer your question?... Usually. when a hen hatches off the other chickens wont bother the biddies. Due to the hen protecting them. or i usually dont have any problem with hens bothering the mothers and their biddies. they kinda stay away from them, in chickens. they will look at.. "well that hens bigger then i am. im not gonna get near her" and even if shes the smallest of the bunch. when she has biddies she'll "puff" up and she'll look huge. making most. or all others to leave her alone.

 

[Della]

That's what I wanted to know. A couple of years ago when I was down to one poor chicken I got 12 little babies. When they got big enough to go outside I introduced them to the old lady who, it was clear, just wanted to kill them. I guess I then kept them separated until the young'uns got too big for their brooder and even though the old lady continued to bully them for a while she eventually stopped tyring to kill them and at some point they all became friends.