Hen clucking before eggs are hatched

[Lacey1988]

Is it normal for a hen to start clucking before her eggs hatch??? when mine comes out to eat and drink she calls up her "imaginary chicks but she always goes back in????
Also one of her eggs broke and yoke got all in the nest what do I do???
The egg shell was stuck to her butt and fell off in the pen I removed it......

 

[Lacey1988]

anybody??

 

[wood&feathers]

It's the holiday weekend. Think about the clucking - we can hear the chicks when they peep, the chicks can probably hear the hen if she is clucking to them before the hatch.

As for the egg mess I would try to clean as much of it out from around the eggs as possible. If the brood cbox/cage is outdoors the mess can attract ants, not something you want when the babies hatch.

 

[Lacey1988]

shes only been sitting on em for a week

 

[centrarchid]

Clucking normal and function of hormonal changes needed for hen to bond with and rear chicks. Behavioral switches not thrown, rather they are gradual. Some hens / breeds start the clucking earlier in the incubation sequence. Behavior may keep unwanted attention from rooster at a minimum.

 

[triplepurpose]

Quote:
Yes, mine always make this noise too, starting from the beginning of the incubation. As to the broken egg, just clean it up and remove the dirty nest material as best you can without disturbing her or the nest too much. Do it while she's off the nest, or failing that, after dark. Should be fine. Good luck!