Going broody? Or just protective of egg?

[The Golden Egg5]

My 26 week old buff Orpington pullet, Starla, has started acting a little broody. When I walk in there in the mornings and reach under her to collect any eggs, she puffs up really big and screams at me. When I come back later in the day she isn't in the nest anymore and she sleeps on the roost with the rest of the flock. If she goes broody, I would like to hatch a couple chicks. Thank you for the help!

 

[Alicat4244]

Time will tell I have one that acts like that just because she likes her privacy when laying. Then my broody girl started acting like that at the beginning, she eventually was staying puffed up all the time when I came around and she only left her nest about once maybe twice a day.

 

[The Golden Egg5]

Thank you! She just started this behavior two days ago so I'm leaning forwards broody. She also added the growl today. She just seems so young to want to brood

 

[twilightgecko]

i almost always have a buff O being broody.. but i see her out eating at different times during the day.. i have a barred rock that wont lay her egg if another is in the coop.. so my buff gets the boot..

 

[The Golden Egg5]

I will keep you guys updated on how she is doing on if she goes broody. Now off to get some gloves so I don't get pecked to death!

 

[Top Rooster]

Sounds like she is in the pre broody stage, the broodiness will get stronger over the days

 

[Ridgerunner]

My test to see if a hen qualifies for hatching eggs is that she spend two consecutive nights on the nest instead of sleeping in her normal spot. I've seen broody hens spend more than a hour off the nest twice a day in warm weather and still get great hatches so I pay a lot more attention to what goes on at night than during the day.

Many of my hens will peck, growl, and be protective of the nest when laying an egg. It has nothing to do with them being broody.

I've had plenty of hens walk around fluffed up and clucking like a broody does, spend a lot of time on the nest during the daytime, spend one night in the nest, and all the other things a broody does but not kick over into full broody mode. I'm sure some day my two consecutive nights test will fail me but so far it has been reliable.

 

[The Golden Egg5]

So, a little update on how she is. She is still sitting on the nest, as protective as ever. I lifted her up (through the pain of her pecks) and saw that she was sitting on half a dozen eggs and a couple fake ones as well. I took them away from her. If she stays on the nest for the next couple nights, I will give her 4 eggs to hatch. I'm extremely excited!

Here she is completely fluffed when I was about to lift her up.

 

[The Golden Egg5]

So she was off the nest tonight. She is sleeping on the roost with the rest of the flock. She sat on the nest for 8 hours today (8-4). Could she have just taken a really, REALLY long time to lay an egg? Or is she most likely pre-broody?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Could be either one. Just give her time.