Hen acting differently

[Cornishbutterfly]

Hi everyone!
I have 5 bantam hens with a roo. 1 of the girls is older than the others and laying eggs. Usually she's very accepting with the roo mounts her and she's mostly by his side in the run, but the last couple of days she has been clucking and arching her wings when he comes anywhere near her. She did sit on the nest box yesterday for a fair while until I moved her off. Could this be because she is broody? It's causing a little disruption as the roo will chase her. Any advice or help greatly appreciated xx

 

[aart]

Ehhh...maybe.
Did she just start laying?
How old are these birds?

Some birds will lounge in the nest for quite awhile before and after laying.
She may be avoiding the cock/erel by hiding in the nest.

Broodies will be on most the day and all night.
They will also be flat as a pancake on the nest, and resume that position on the ground when removed from nest ....as well as other broody behaviors.

 

[Cornishbutterfly]

Not sure, possibly between 18 months to 2 years old? She's been laying a while and was with a roo before I got her. She took to our roo really well and was always with him. But the last couple of days she'll sit in the box alot longer and tuck the fake eggs under her (my other girls aren't laying yet So they're to help them) if I move her out she'll happily go out and scratch, she just doesn't lile being round the cockerel all of sudden. She does a low clucking noise and slightly opens her wings while keeping low.

 

[aart]

She does a low clucking noise

That is the broody cluck.....why in the UK and AU they call broody hens 'clucky'.
Tho she may just be 'pre-broody'......may go totally, or not.
Time will tell.

Meanwhile think about.....
You'll need to decide if you want her to hatch out some chicks, and how you will 'manage' it.
Do you have, or can you get, some fertile eggs?
Do you have the space needed? Both for more chickens and she may need to be separated by wire from the rest of the flock.
Do you have a plan on what to do with the inevitable males? Rehome, butcher, keep in separate 'bachelor pad'?
If you decide to let her hatch out some fertile eggs, this is a great thread for reference and to ask questions.
It's a long one but just start reading the first few pages, then browse thru some more at random.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/496101/broody-hen-thread


If you don't want her to hatch out chicks, best to break her broodiness promptly.
My experience went like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest, I put her in a wire dog crate with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop with feed and water.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.