Confusing broody

[Top Rooster]

I have a BO who is one year old and I think she's trying to go broody but she's kind of confusing she seems to only act broody when she's laying an egg, I think she's laying a clutch but I don't know when I see her on the nest she puffs up big and broody clucks me. But then she gets off her nest and acts like any other chicken she doesn't make broody clucks or puff up nothing, she's only like that on the nest. Do you think she's just deciding if she wants to go broody or not? It would be her first time.

 

[Isaac 0]

I had a hen who did that a few months later she went broody and now she is doing it again.She is practicing.I wouldn't be surprised if she went broody.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Has her laying behavior changed? Did she just recently begin to puff up as she laid eggs?

If so, then yes, she is probably in the pre-brood phase. Hens will build a clutch in the pre-brood phase but continue to interact with the flock.

Then, when the clutch size is appropriate (the pressure of the egg count actually presses on a spot on the breast bone that releases hormones), she may enter a full brood, if her genetics are strong for brooding.

Many commercial line breeds have pretty much had the broodiness bred out of them in sight of production so I find many of those to be more "sulkers" than true brooders. Sulking and acting half broody but never entering into full phase brooding.

Buff Orpingtons are a breed that has been known to be more broody prone, so watch your hen.

You can encourage her a bit by making sure she has a secure nest box and a clutch of eggs so that when she is ready she can enter into a full brood.

You'll recognize the full brood. She will stay on the nest as if in a trance, huffing and puffing whenever disturbed. She will get up only once a day to eat/drink and relieve herself only to go straight back to the nest again.

Good luck with your gal.

 

[Top Rooster]

I had to collect the eggs yesterday because they had already been out for a few days and the heat I bet would make them go bad faster. So she'll probably have to re build her clutch. She just started puffing a few days ago, she once was getting pecked once and she growled and puffed but that was only once.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

You could use fake eggs to prevent spoilage.

I set out a bunch of ping pong or golf balls to encourage a brood.

The important thing is that she always has access to her favorite nest and is allowed to build and sit on that clutch. (You can take away the real eggs to let her sit on the fake ones for the same result).

Make sure the nest spot she has chosen is an acceptable one for you and a safe one for future babes.

Good luck with her.

LofMc

 

[Top Rooster]

Thanks I'll just give her what eggs are layers today about how many eggs are in a clutch?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

For a normal size Buff Orpington, about 12 should do for a real hatching clutch. However, you can entice with about 6 eggs.

Note that the eggs you set today likely won't be the ones she hatches if she takes a long time to settle. You may have to exchange out the place holder eggs with a fresh set if she takes a number of weeks.

When she does finally settle, make sure she has fresh eggs (as they lose fertility after 7 days). Also mark the date you set the eggs, and set all eggs at the same time. That is very important to avoid a staggered hatch or tossing developing eggs.

It is best to prevent other hens coming in and laying more eggs. You skew your hatch dates that way too as other later set eggs get mixed in with the earlier eggs (hence the marking on set eggs).

I also find it best to isolate the hen from the others as eggs get kicked out and tromped on...and it is always the ones that you want to hatch.

Good luck.
LofMc

 

[elaineinspain]

For a normal size Buff Orpington, about 12 should do for a real hatching clutch. However, you can entice with about 6 eggs.

Note that the eggs you set today likely won't be the ones she hatches if she takes a long time to settle. You may have to exchange out the place holder eggs with a fresh set if she takes a number of weeks.

When she does finally settle, make sure she has fresh eggs (as they lose fertility after 7 days). Also mark the date you set the eggs, and set all eggs at the same time. That is very important to avoid a staggered hatch or tossing developing eggs.

It is best to prevent other hens coming in and laying more eggs. You skew your hatch dates that way too as other later set eggs get mixed in with the earlier eggs (hence the marking on set eggs).

I also find it best to isolate the hen from the others as eggs get kicked out and tromped on...and it is always the ones that you want to hatch.


Good luck.
LofMc

@Lady of McCamley
I have a 15 month old broody buff orpington. It's her first time broody. She doesn't leave her nest, is puffed up, growls and pecks if anyone approaches her - typical broody! She's been like this for 2 days.
Last night I tried to move her onto the roost with the others and she just got down and went back to her empty nest.
She doesn't have any eggs under her.
Early this morning I tried placing 3 eggs near her chest for her to brood. I was expecting her to pull the eggs under her, like the other hens do, but she pecked holes in them!
She seems determined to brood, but it's pointless without eggs under her! I tried again with another egg this afternoon, and again she pecked a hole in it. Would you reckon it's time to break her broodiness?
I've never had to do this with my other hens as they accept the eggs to brood really eagerly.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Elaine

 

[Top Rooster]

Give her eggs in the night to where she can't see the eggs, and put them under her not in front of her.

Now for my broody she couldn't handle the heat and often leaves but she's there all morning before it gets hot then she sometimes returns but not always

 

[Lady of McCamley]

I agree. Place the eggs at night by putting them under her at the back of her tail. She'll peck at you not the eggs.

Cantankerous hens will peck at anything that disturbs the nest, even foreign eggs.
LofMc