Broody

[Morgk]

Is it common to go broody while in a bad molt? Or in 20 degree weather? My hen is in a bad molt and is sitting in the nesting box on eggs but I took them and I put fake eggs there. She pecked me when I went to get the eggs and she is just sitting there it started this afternoon. She is never gone broody

 

[Peaches Lee]

Broody hens can be really hard to break and they really have no care for their own health. They can be very frustrating for flock owners!

 

[Morgk]

I want her to go broody but not when it’s almost freezing. When I went in there tonight she was sitting kinda up right and still cranky like broody. Is that egg bound?

 

[Peaches Lee]

I feel if she were egg bound she would be feeling ill--lethargic, slow to react, a general all around "blah". I wouldn't think she'd be putting on airs of a broody hen if she was unwell.

 

[Morgk]

Makes since. If she stays in the nesting box over night would y’all consider that broody

 

[Peaches Lee]

Maybe--for me it's more her attitude about you A) moving her off the nest and B) taking eggs from her. To me, a non broody hen wouldn't growl or even bite, they may be a little offended because they're being disturbed but usually not aggressive--compared to my broody hens that have been downright vicious in letting me know that these eggs are OFF LIMITS to persons!

 

[aart]

With a hard molt she may be 'hiding' because she is uncomfortable.
Many molting bird avoid the flock during hard molt.
Especially at roost time, if there is not enough roost space for her to do that she may have chosen a nest instead.
I would not think a bird in hard molt would be broody.

These are my go-to signs of a broody.
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.

 

[Morgk]

She got off the nest and ate ran back in there and hid. She isn’t mean when grabbing the eggs and no sounds