Chicken walks around fluffed up.

[LikeTurkeys]

Not sure if this was the right forum to post in, but here goes. My chicken has been walking around fluffed up, like this:

It started 3-4 days ago. She's been laying eggs great, every day in fact. Any idea what's going on? Also, when she starts fluffing, she makes a cluck-cluck-cluck sound.
Thanks.

 

[Hayduke27]

I have seen hens do this when they have new chicks and are guiding them around the yard while being protective of them. Maybe she's getting broody?

 

[mixedbreeds]

She is broody

 

[LikeTurkeys]

She's not sitting continuously on any eggs yet... She does fluff when someone gets close while she's laying an egg though.

I thought broody's were only broody;s when they sat on nests? Don't they stop laying eggs as well?

 

[Chickassan]

Some hens go broody over days or even weeks.
Some display broody behaviors but never actually go broody.
They're lady chickens, they'll all be a little different with their broody instincts. And yes a fully commited broody will stop her egg cycle. And no they don't all sit, some go semi broody and go about the daily routine just with added sound effects and puffing this is called walking broody.

She's not sitting continuously on any eggs yet... She does fluff when someone gets close while she's laying an egg though.

I thought broody's were only broody;s when they sat on nests? Don't they stop laying eggs as well?

 

[Audrey Watson]

The fluffing and clucking sound like typical signs of a broody hen. If she is still laying eggs than she may be in the process of going broody, or she may go back to normal in a few days. Best to just wait it out and see! If I were you, I’d be excited- broody hens mean an excuse to get more chicks(chicken math)! I was recently very disappointed that I had to break a broody hen because we have a rat problem, so good luck to you!

 

[LikeTurkeys]

Okay, thanks! My rooster isn't old enough to fertilize eggs yet, so no chicks. She doesn't do it all the time, only once in a while. I think it's cute

 

[Chickassan]

She's a walking broody then. They are really cute.
Just keep her out of trouble, she'll get pecked a bit more by the flock when she's acting like that.

Okay, thanks! My rooster isn't old enough to fertilize eggs yet, so no chicks. She doesn't do it all the time, only once in a while. I think it's cute

 

[mixedbreeds]

I had one go broody and hatch chicks, after the chicks were grown she stayed semi broody for about 6 months I didn’t think she was ever going to stop. I have a bunch of broodys now and when they come out to feed and do there business they get attacked pretty badly by some of the other hens, it normally happens when I put feed and water out in the morning I spray the nasty girls with a little water to get them to leave the broodys alone.

 

[LikeTurkeys]

She's a walking broody then. They are really cute.
Just keep her out of trouble, she'll get pecked a bit more by the flock when she's acting like that.

I noticed. One of the other hens actually flew at her pretty violently.