Do broody hens dustbathe?

[OkieChickenGal]

I have an Easter egger that I think is broody, but every so often she'll come out of the coop and dustbathe. Does anyone else's broody's ever do this?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That is one of the things they do during their daily break. Eat, drink, poop, and dust bath, than back to the nest.

 

[The Phantom]

Same here

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Agreed. Brooding hens generally get off the nest once a day for about 20 minutes to take care of personal business.

Closer to lock down, you may see a hen sit from day 18 to 21 while others still enjoy their necessities.

Now, if your hen is getting off the nest for an hour or two, she is not seriously brooding but flirting with the idea. She may be in the pre-brooding phase and will settle into a deeper brood after a few days to a week.

Others simply flirt with the idea of brooding and then abandon the nest to rejoin the flock.

All depends on the hen. Just watch her to make sure she is committed to brooding, only doing her daily constitutional for about 10 to 20 minutes, then able to immediately go back to her nest.

LofMc

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I have an Easter egger that I think is broody, but every so often she'll come out of the coop and dustbathe. Does anyone else's broody's ever do this?

Mine do it each and every time that she decamps from her nest to eat, drink, and defecate. Perfectly normal except if your using a mechanical incubator.
Good sitting hen should stay glued to the nest for up to 4 days at a time. A hen who won't stay put that long is not a reliable or satisfactory sitting hen.

 

[ozzy chooks]

My broody was stretching, pooping, drinking, eating and dust bathing and flapping her wings widely when having a break from sitting. In a way funny to watch.
The break was between 20 minutes to 1h30m and only once per day. She hatched all fertilised eggs and was an excellent moma.

Good luck with yours!