Broody?

[nugget2000]

Hello

My buff orpington, nugget, is almost 20 weeks old and started laying at 17 weeks. Today, at noon she went to their nests, sat down, and didn't get up for almost 2 hours! I went to check on her and she had all the golf balls under her. She also seemed really grumpy and viciously pecked anything I put near her. Right as I started writing this, I heard her making lots of noise. She was then outside and walking around with her wings held, yelling. I was too scared to get near her

. I shooed her back inside so she would be quiet. Then I checked the nest and there was one egg that I now put in the fridge. Is she broody? It seems a bit early doesn't it?

Thanks

(She seems back to normal again.... So not broody?)

She is also a lot louder than the others. She is always yelping and growling VERY loudly

 

[junebuggena]

She's not broody yet. Broody hens sit on the nest all day and all night. If she's laying eggs, she's not broody. At least not yet.
My Jersey Giant was acting like that for over a month. Sitting for hours on a few eggs, puffing up at anything that would come close. I went to shut the coop door 2 nights ago and she was still in the nest. She's finally officially gone broody, after threatening to do so for well over a month. She's about 6 months old.

 

[nugget2000]

Wow a Jersey Giant! I have 5 as well but they are only 16 weeks old

. Thanks for the help

Best of luck to you!

 

[junebuggena]

She's hatchery stock, so she's not very giant, she's one of the smallest in the flock.

 

[nugget2000]

I don't think our will be very large either. My two Buff Orpingtons are also smaller than usual. Nugget is only about 3 or 4 pounds, and Spud is slightly larger (~5 pounds)

 

[lysanderish]

My bo Arnold is acting the same way right now. Good to know it could take a while for her to actually go broody.

 

[Danyander]

Oh goodness. I was just going to post and ask this. My BSL Charolette started it today. She laid but anytime I checked on her (she has been in there for hrs) she would yell at me and puff up. I took her egg and shooed her out of the box. Then she came out at pecked our lowest on the pecking order. Should I just let her work through it? Any advice?

 

[junebuggena]

I'm just letting mine brood. I've got an Easter Egger rooster, and I would like some more colored egg layers with fluffy cheeks. I just hatch some eggs from my flock in an incubator and got a 90% hatch rate. I'm interested in seeing if the broody hen will do just as well.

Here is her private 'nesting suite' in the coop.

 

[Danyander]

I'm just letting mine brood. I've got an Easter Egger rooster, and I would like some more colored egg layers with fluffy cheeks. I just hatch some eggs from my flock in an incubator and got a 90% hatch rate. I'm interested in seeing if the broody hen will do just as well. Here is her private 'nesting suite' in the coop.

I we had fertilized eggs I would totally let her. But we don't have a rooster.

 

[junebuggena]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/181289/how-to-break-a-broody-hen
This thread has a lot of good info about broodies and how to get them to stop.