Could she be broody?

[Carlie59]

I’ve got a black Australorp hen (just barely a hen at 6 months) who’s hanging out in the nesting box all day. Everyone else is out free ranging and being normal. She will come out for a drink or food then go right back in. She not purring or fluffed up but is determined to stay in the box. Comb is red and she seems fine, just highly attached to the nesting box lol thoughts?

 

[chickenlittle21]

Yep, shes broody

 

[Carlie59]

Yep, shes broody

I had no idea they could go broody this young! Should I do anything or just let her be?

 

[chickenlittle21]

I had no idea they could go broody this young! Should I do anything or just let her be?

Do you have a rooster? If you do, then your eggs will be fertilized and the will hatch. If you have a rooster put an X on some eggs using a pencil or black crayon and put them under your broody. Every day reach under her and find the eggs without the X and take them out. In 21 days you should expect to see some little chicks. Also, make sure your broody gets up once a day for food and water.

 

[Carlie59]

Nop

Do you have a rooster? If you do, then your eggs will be fertilized and the will hatch. If you have a rooster put an X on some eggs using a pencil or black crayon and put them under your broody. Every day reach under her and find the eggs without the X and take them out. In 21 days you should expect to see some little chicks. Also, make sure your broody gets up once a day for food and water.

Nope no rooster here. Maybe I can find some fertile eggs nearby for her. She’s still really a baby though so not sure she’ll continue to sit. Worth a shot though!

 

[chickenlittle21]

You can buy some chicks and give them to her and she will accept them and raise them.

 

[aart]

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.

You'll need to decide if you want her to hatch out some chicks, and how you will 'manage' it.
-Do you have, or can you get, some fertile eggs?
-Do you have the space needed? Both for more chickens and she may need to be separated by wire from the rest of the flock.
-Do you have a plan on what to do with the inevitable males? Rehome, butcher, keep in separate 'bachelor pad'?
If you decide to let her hatch out some fertile eggs, this is a great thread for reference and to ask questions.
It's a long one but just start reading the first few pages, then browse thru some more at random. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/broody-hen-thread.496101/