Do feathers in nesting box encourage them to go broody?

[JuliaSunshine]

I have 26 week old Light Sussex and 3 of 10 have already gone broody this fall and gotten broken out of it.
Now I'm a bit worried about some feathers in the nesting box.
I know chickens line the nesting box with their chest feathers when they go broody.
This morning, I noticed handful of soft feathers in one box which two chickens used and those chickens laid eggs everyday for the last 10 days or so. One of them was broody a month and a half ago.
I'm wondering if one or two of them have been getting ready to hatch chicks by laying every day and lining the box.
Anyways, is leaving the feathers in the box okay or do the feathers encourage chickens to go broody? Anyone knows this? Thank you!

 

[Isadora]

I have never heard of feathers encouraging it, only eggs.
It is fall molting time, so lots of feathers in the box makes sense.

 

[nuthatched]

Nothing can make a bird go broody, it's hormones. :]

 

[JuliaSunshine]

I have never heard of feathers encouraging it, only eggs.
It is fall molting time, so lots of feathers in the box makes sense.

Good then I'll just leave feathers there. Thank you. They're pullets so they won't molt this year though.

 

[JuliaSunshine]

Nothing can make a bird go broody, it's hormones. :]

Got it. Thanks!

 

[rosemarythyme]

It's not unusual for layers to pick up things outside the nest and put them in the nest, if your nests are close to ground level. I find sticks, feathers, leaves all added into the nest boxes.

No, feathers in the box won't cause broodiness, but since your birds are all young, it could possibly indicate a pullet getting ready to go broody by plucking their belly, as you noted. You won't know for sure until it happens.

 

[JuliaSunshine]

It's not unusual for layers to pick up things outside the nest and put them in the nest, if your nests are close to ground level. I find sticks, feathers, leaves all added into the nest boxes.

No feathers in the box won't cause broodiness, but since your birds are all young, it could possibly indicate a pullet getting ready to go broody by plucking their belly, as you noted. You won't know for sure until it happens.

It's funny imagining my chickens bringing feathers and such to their nest.
I'll just keep my fingers crossed. I don't need broody hens until the next spring.