Chicken acting broody but isn’t

[Valentin]

Hello I have a buff orpington about 3 years old and had been staying in the nesting box’s for in hour in a half . When ever I come close to her she will puff up her feathers and try to peck me . But then just laid her egg and left . So when I got her egg I saw her feathers were scattered in the nesting box . She did the same thing this morning . I just want to know what’s wrong with her and if she is going to go broody .

 

[JaeG]

Often they can get antsy when they are laying. Our bantam Wyandotte hate being disturbed. If you dare peek in at them they raise the roof.

Your girl might be thinking about going broody but she will lay a certain number of eggs before she decides that's enough. Just keep an eye on her and see what happens.

Our old buff Orpington played at being broody. She'd been sitting for about 3 weeks so I tried to give her some of the chicks I'd hatched in my incubator. She was not interested in them, pecked at them, turned her back on them and the next day she was back out with the flock. So if you are thinking of giving her chicks or eggs to hatch just make sure you have a back-up plan. Sometimes they just like to sit.

 

[HenneryTheEighth]

I have two black Marans that “tag team” being broody. They are sharing a nest right now. Sometimes one appears broody, and sometimes the other does. Maybe they just like playing at being broody like JaeG’s BO.