Going broody?

[thunderbird]

I've got two hens who I suspect may be going broody but idk

The first is an orpington from my older flock who I have appropriately named Broody because she goes broody all the time, she's walking around nomaly not fluffed up but making those soft clucking noises that broodys tend to make but not sitting on the eggs

I believe she is plucking feathers out as well

The second Is a cochin bantam from my young flock, she will sometimes sit on the nest or you can even set her down on some eggs and she'll look and act like a broody, screaming at everything and puffin up, but then she gets off and acts like nothing happened

I REALLY want to hatch some chicks out under a broody and I hope that atleast one of these hens will go broody so I can do it

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Both aren't truly broody yet. You will have to wait until they reliably stay on the nest.

 

[aart]

Most my birds do the clucking thing, and screaming when you approach them on the nest.
Some even lounge in nests all flattened out for quite some time before and after laying.

I don't call 'broody' until they sit the nest for 3 days and 3 nights running.

 

[venita 20030]

I think my hen went broody she's plucking out all her feathers on her neck and chest and is sitting on eggs is this normal

 

[venita 20030]

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

That's not normal, nor from broody plucking. I would suspect you either have mites or a feather picker.

 

[thunderbird]

Both aren't truly broody yet. You will have to wait until they reliably stay on the nest.

The orpington went broody but didn't stay on at night, the cochin set for a few hours longer than normal but got off and is making a few growling noises here and there.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

A hen that doesn't stay on the nest isn't fully broody. Most hens will growl when approached in the nestboxes.

A broody hen only leave the nest once a day to eat, poop, drink and dust bath, usually anywhere from 10-30 minutes.

Both sound like they will eventually go broody. I will sometimes break them in this pre-broody state because they often continue to lay.

 

[thunderbird]

A hen that doesn't stay on the nest isn't fully broody. Most hens will growl when approached in the nestboxes.

A broody hen only leave the nest once a day to eat, poop, drink and dust bath, usually anywhere from 10-30 minutes.

Both sound like they will eventually go broody. I will sometimes break them in this pre-broody state because they often continue to lay.

Yeah usually with her it takes about 2 or 3 days for her to fully commit, shes never stopped once she gets to this stage