Going Broody??

[warren86]

Shes sitting on sevral eggs normally shes runs off when i get close now shes pecking me hand to death when i try to go for the eggs could she be going broody would be my first one if so

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

She may be going broody. How long has she been acting this way? As you approach does she make a growling sound at you? Is she all puffed up (think pine cone) and or flattening her body like a pancake over the eggs?

 

[cmobley]

She's acting like it I had one that did the same thing but I didn't want her broody so I kept bothering her she finally stopped. But she would growl and fluff up and peck lol.

 

[warren86]

Been doing it for at least a day and yes she puffs up trying to put a picture up but having problems

 

[bobbi-j]

Does she look something like this?



Kind of flat, yet fluffed out, giving you the stink eye when you come close? She could well be broody. Is she staying on the nest at night, too? The next question would be, do you want her to hatch eggs for you? If so, I'd remove the eggs she's been sitting on, since you don't know if they've all been incubated the same number of days or not. I would mark the eggs I want her to hatch and slip them under her, so they're all started at the same time and should hatch at the same time (within a day or so). If you don't want her broody, you may want to consider putting her in a "broody buster" cage. A wire cage, elevated, so she cools down a bit. (Literally).

 

[warren86]

Yes she does all those and all the eggs she sitting on are fresh all from the same day and im pretty sure her eggs are fertile i may leave her she how she does if nothing happens thats fine have to learn these things on trial and error

 

[aart]

Yes she does all those and all the eggs she sitting on are fresh all from the same day and im pretty sure her eggs are fertile i may leave her she how she does if nothing happens thats fine have to learn these things on trial and error

If she stays on the nest most the day(except to eat/drink/poop/dust bathe) and all night for 3 days running,
you can probably be sure she's broody.
Good to mark the eggs she starts with so you can remove any that get laid in the nest by your other birds.

 

[chickens really]

If you want her to set...Remove her and the eggs to a Brooder pen...Its really easy to do...set it up so she has room to eat and drink......Make her a nest and first take all the eggs to her new nest..Then get the Hen and have feed and water ready..put her in and walk away..She might cluck her head off for a few minutes but ignore her..She will settle on the new nest and eggs and be happy...I keep my Broody Hens in my garage so they have the privacy they need...I move mine during the day so the Hen is fully alert and knows where she is ......It works amazing for me..My Gen just hatched Chicks yesterday..I also have 5 week olds and 9 week olds all Raised and hatched the same way...
I put all the Chicks and Hens back into the flock at around 3 weeks old...Mom still looks after them..Although all my Hens and Rooster love Chicks so I have no issues...

Cheers!

 

[bobbi-j]

Yes she does all those and all the eggs she sitting on are fresh all from the same day and im pretty sure her eggs are fertile i may leave her she how she does if nothing happens thats fine have to learn these things on trial and error

There are several ways to manage a setting hen. Some people (Ridgerunner and Mrs. K that I can think of for sure) leave their broodies in with the flock. Every time I have tried this, I've ended up with broken eggs or destroyed nests. I'm sure it's from the other hens trying to get in the nest to lay an egg.

The way one of my coops is set up, I can put a broody in her own place in the coop, yet be within sight of the rest of the flock. She has her own feed and water in that part of the coop, and plenty of room to scratch around in the bedding if she wishes while she's out stretching her legs and relieving herself. For me, it works to keep hen and chicks separated for the first week or so until I feel they're strong enough and able to negotiate the jump to get back into the coop from the run before I put them all together.

Others will completely separate a hen and chicks and not integrate them until the chicks are 1-2 months old. I used to do it that way, but by that time the hen isn't as protective of her babies and they have a harder time integrating.

I have moved broodies during the day, and at night. I've had mixed experiences. One broody was in an old building here, completely vulnerable, for about a week before I found her. I moved her at night. When I checked on her the next morning, she had totally flipped out. (Or something had gotten in there - I'm not convinced it was just the hen) Eggs were scattered and broken everywhere, and she was frantic. I've moved others at night, and I swear they'd stay no matter where I put them. I'm sure I could put them in my living room and they'd be content as long as they were on their eggs. The hen I have used as a broody the past couple of years is pretty set in her ways. I've tried moving her at night, and during the day, and she refuses to sit unless she's in HER chosen spot. Of course, that means she's usually in the favorite nest that the other hens want to lay in.

Like you said, sometimes you have to learn by trial and error. Keep us posted if you let her set.