Hen by herself? Cat?

[KiwiandPeachthePigeons]

Today i got home and noticed that my EE hen was by herself, and wouldn’t come eat with the others. Maybe she’s broody? Was my first thought. But no, she didn’t have typical broody chicken behavior. She seems more friendly than normal, inquisitively pecking at my fingers. Then she made a warning call, and I looked around and saw a cat in a bush. Oh? I’d seen this cat around lately and was thinking maybe it had kittens nearby. It was just really random to see a cat near. Anyways, is my chicken broody, or what’s happening with her? And also, does this mystery cat have kittens nearby? I keep seeing her around, up in a tree, in the bushes, and sometimes in my shed.

 

[sourland]

Hard to answer either of those questions without more information. Is the cat thin with hanging mammaries, did she appear to be pregnant when she arrived ? Within the next couple of days you should know whether or not your hen is broody. Flock avoidance is not a sign of broodiness.

 

[KiwiandPeachthePigeons]

Then what’s my hen doing? She’s currently sitting under a bush. The cat... I don’t know, I can’t get close to her. I put some food out to try and get a better look.

 

[KiwiandPeachthePigeons]

Hen keeps moving farther into the bush and laying down...

 

[aart]

She may just want to lay her egg there?

There are my go-to signs of a broody:
Is she on nest most the day and all night?
When you pull her out of nest and put her on the ground, does she flatten right back out into a fluffy screeching pancake?
Does she walk around making a low cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck(ticking bomb) sound on her way back to the nest?
Are there feathers in the nest, and missing from her breast/belly?
If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.

​

 

[KiwiandPeachthePigeons]

True... I’ll keep an eye on her.

 

[KiwiandPeachthePigeons]

IVE BEEN CHOSEN

She came up to me and just demanded snuggles!

 

[KiwiandPeachthePigeons]

Oh no help I’ve gotten attached...

 

[tn_artist]

Oh no help I’ve gotten attached...

You are now owned by a cat!

 

[FunnyfarmMidwest]

IVE BEEN CHOSEN View attachment 2054470
She came up to me and just demanded snuggles!

Be careful! They can smell an animal lover! I think that’s how I ended up with 8! When you get attached to one they seem to just keep coming!