Does a hen show signs of broodiness weeks beforehand? She's pretending

[aubreynoramarie]

I have a lovely barred rock hen who just turned one year old. She's been acting somewhat strange lately in the sense that she will sit in the nesting box for about an hour AFTER she has laid an egg. Meaning she will lay her egg, go back outside, all the others will lay their eggs, then at some point during the day she will go back to the nesting box and sit for a while. Afterwards she will just hop out and go back outside. What's the deal? None of my other girls even go into the cool at all during the day except to lay their eggs. This hen is also the first to roost at night, even if all the hens are still wandering about outside.

Does anyone know why she is "pretend" laying eggs?

 

[Firearia]

I know I've had a couple of my 'on again, off again' broodies do the same thing, though in the end, they were never truly broody. They quit on me after five days.

However my current broody showed no broody signs before hand, she was just in the nest one day and hasn't come out for a week, that is, not counting the occasional, food, drink and dustbath.

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Apparently someone has before signs, take a peak: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=508897

 

[aubreynoramarie]

Hmm that stinks. My rooster should be mature in two months or so and I'm really hoping for a broody then to try and hatch his eggs. All y girls are a year old and I haven't seen any signs of broodyness

 

[aubreynoramarie]

does anyone else's hens do this?