Hen plucking breast feathers - Broody?

[saving grace]

I just have a few quick questions about my possibly broody hen.

My hen is a year old EE and has been laying very consistently. Today I found quite a few plucked breast feathers in the nesting box and identified which hen was doing it. She is showing no other signs of broodiness as of yet. She does like to hoard eggs under her when she's laying, but most of my EEs do.

One of her sisters went broody early winter of last year and I'm hoping to hatch some eggs under her this spring. She was also plucking some breast feathers recently, thought not nearly as many.

So my question is, do you think this hen is going broody? (I'm tending to think so at this point because of the behavior of her sister.) And if so, do broodies do better when laying if they are alone or have another momma sitting on some eggs nearby? Just want to know so I can plan ahead if they go broody at the same time.

Thanks!

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Plucking breast feathers, hoarding eggs, and staying longer and longer in the nest box is usually the signs of pre-brooding. You will know when they enter a full brood as they will go into the Zen-like stare, snarl at anyone near, and sit on a nest all day long (and night).

I would begin to leave some eggs (duds) in the box to encourage someone to begin to sit. Give them a couple of days setting fully (without moving other than about 20 minutes to eat, drink, poo). You can then add the eggs you want to set as all eggs have to be set at the same time to get a successful hatch without staggering.

Choose carefully the nest you want the hen to use (keeping in mind ease of access for chicks).

As to whether to share or have a neighbor. Most hens prefer to be alone, and sharing hens can become competing hens. Having said that, there are those hens raised as sisters that will brood cheerfully together....but most of the times I get competing hens (stealing each other's eggs, constantly swapping nests pushing eggs out).

Good luck with somebody going broody. I'm waiting for someone here to go broody. I'm amazed I've made it to March without a volunteer yet.

Oh, and once one goes, it seems to become broody flu and you'll likely have another volunteer, or two, or three.

LofMc

 

[saving grace]

Plucking breast feathers, hoarding eggs, and staying longer and longer in the nest box is usually the signs of pre-brooding. You will know when they enter a full brood as they will go into the Zen-like stare, snarl at anyone near, and sit on a nest all day long (and night).

I would begin to leave some eggs (duds) in the box to encourage someone to begin to sit. Give them a couple of days setting fully (without moving other than about 20 minutes to eat, drink, poo). You can then add the eggs you want to set as all eggs have to be set at the same time to get a successful hatch without staggering.

Choose carefully the nest you want the hen to use (keeping in mind ease of access for chicks).

As to whether to share or have a neighbor. Most hens prefer to be alone, and sharing hens can become competing hens. Having said that, there are those hens raised as sisters that will brood cheerfully together....but most of the times I get competing hens (stealing each other's eggs, constantly swapping nests pushing eggs out).

Good luck with somebody going broody. I'm waiting for someone here to go broody. I'm amazed I've made it to March without a volunteer yet.

Oh, and once one goes, it seems to become broody flu and you'll likely have another volunteer, or two, or three.

LofMc

Thanks for the info!

I'll probably let the first one to go broody hatch some eggs and break any other hens that go broody. I've decided to section off an area of the coop and add a kennel for the nest. If all goes well I think I'll keep the chicks in there for a few days, then let them out into the rest of the flock.

Very excited! I haven't hatched eggs with a broody or in an incubator yet, so I'm looking forward to this experience. Just hoping things go smoothly!

I hope one of your hens volunteers soon.

 

[WallacetheKhakiCampbell]

I just have a few quick questions about my possibly broody hen.

My hen is a year old EE and has been laying very consistently. Today I found quite a few plucked breast feathers in the nesting box and identified which hen was doing it. She is showing no other signs of broodiness as of yet. She does like to hoard eggs under her when she's laying, but most of my EEs do.

One of her sisters went broody early winter of last year and I'm hoping to hatch some eggs under her this spring. She was also plucking some breast feathers recently, thought not nearly as many.

So my question is, do you think this hen is going broody? (I'm tending to think so at this point because of the behavior of her sister.) And if so, do broodies do better when laying if they are alone or have another momma sitting on some eggs nearby? Just want to know so I can plan ahead if they go broody at the same time.

Thanks!

That could surely be some signs of a broody hen. In the few hens I've had brood they tend to pluck after they are all settled in and brooding. However, every bird is different and plucking is often a sign. I would watch her closer now, if she is going broody she will spend more and more time sitting on eggs and may start even collecting eggs from other boxes if possible. She may also quite laying eggs. You can know she is for sure if she spends a whole night on the nest. In the slight chance she isn't going broody and shes plucking for some other reason I could only guess lice or mites. That's how I found lice last year in my flock (the hen that had them worst had plucked a little patch under her. If it's easy you could check the bases of the fluffy feathers around her vent and under her tail but I wouldn't bet on it, just an idea. Good luck with her! Hatching chicks under broody hens is so much fun!!!!