Can a hen go broody after only 2 1/2 weeks of laying??

[abottrell]

My EE hen Hera, just started laying 2.5 weeks ago. She was the first of our hens to start laying, and has been pretty consistent, laying lovely bluish eggs. Today, one of our other hens laid an egg early this morning, and I found Hera in the nest box laying on it, and making the nest all lovely with shavings. I removed the egg, but then she stayed right in the nest box. .She doesn't appear to be ready to lay today, and only came out for a few min when I fed treats to the girls and that was after I pushed her off the nest box and enticed her with some treats. She went right back to her favorite box. The egg was gone and now she went to another nest box. I am new to chicken keeping, and am not sure if she is being broody or not.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Yes they can.
I've had an Orpington and several Penedesencas go broody that early.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

x2

Sounds like broody behavior to me...and yes, I've had them go very early...lay just a few eggs then want to set.

LofMc

 

[donrae]

New layers can be so frustrating with this sometimes

.

it's possible for a hen to go broody that soon. From a reproductive standpoint, she would have laid an appropriate clutch to incubate.

Then again, new layers sometimes just like to hang out in the nest boxes.

I say wait and see if she spends the night on the nest. That and flattening out like a chicken pancake and growling are the key signs of a true broody.

 

[Schaafty]

Yes, they can, the worst part this hen may not lay for another week, - from a production standpoint