How can I tell if a hen's going to go broody?

AntiqueB

Free Ranging
Aug 27, 2020
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Bergen County, NJ
I have an 8 month old Buff Orpington who's been acting strangely. In the evening, she usually gets into the coop first. Yesterday, she growled at my other pullet, Peck, when they went in to bed. This evening, she twice spread her wings with her feathers all fluffed out, and growled at Peck before going into the coop. The display looked very much like videos I've seen of broodies. Once she got in, she again growled when Peck went in. Is she some sort of pre-broody? They were raised together, and while they don't exactly love each other, they do not fight. They have my backyard to roam in all day, and only spend nighttime and maybe an hour after sunrise in the coop/run. She has not tried to spend any time in the nestboxes.
 
She has not tried to spend any time in the nestboxes.
Then she's not broody.
Tho she may be 'thinking about it'.

Here 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?

If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.
 
hi, sorry to intrude. I don't want to be rude, let me know if I should open my own thread or if I can use this one, but I was wondering the same thing!
this is pingu, she's a one year old BCM, but in the last few days she has started to look more like a puffer fish. this is my first experience with hens, so I'm not sure if she might be sick or if this is just a sign that she's thinking about going broody.
yesterday she spent the whole morning in the nesting box and when she came out she seemed to hate everyone. today was pretty much the same: she spent a lot of time in the nesting box and when she was not there, she was growling and running around all fluffed up. is she okay or could this be something bad?
edit: she looks funny, but I'm kinda scared!
WhatsApp Image 2021-03-29 at 21.35.20.jpeg
 
@maceleneo ,that's exactly what Love's doing! Today, she was puffing and growling throughout the day, and really got mad when it was bedtime! She really doesn't spend more time in the nestbox, though, and still deposits her daily egg there, so there's no secret nest. I wanted to get a picture, but you know how they never do what you want when you want them to.
 
@maceleneo ,that's exactly what Love's doing! Today, she was puffing and growling throughout the day, and really got mad when it was bedtime! She really doesn't spend more time in the nestbox, though, and still deposits her daily egg there, so there's no secret nest. I wanted to get a picture, but you know how they never do what you want when you want them to.
hi, how is your Love doing? Pingu tonight chose to stay in the nest and didn't go to the roost to sleep. I'm super excited, if she stays there for another couple of days I'm going to try to give her some fertile eggs. this could be my first hatch, finger crossed!
 
There are a lot of signs that a hen may be broody or thinking about going broody. Sometimes they do go full broody, sometimes they never do. I've seen them act partially broody for two weeks before they decide one way or the other. With some it hits like a ton of bricks. One minute they are not broody, the next minute they are.

My test to see if a broody hen is worthy of eggs is that she spends two consecutive nights on the nest instead of in her normal roosting spot. Not one night. not two nights spaced apart, two consecutive nights.

@maceleneo do you want suggestions or do you feel you have this?
 
Love is still the same. She growls and puffs up when Peck gets near her, and she stays in the nest a little longer than necessary to lay her egg, but she's not in the nest for hours like your Pingu. Better for me; I have no rooster, so a broody would be useless for me! 🤣
 
@Ridgerunner oh thanks for asking, I'm going to need suggestions for sure: I'm new to all this!
I'm reading all articles about hatching I can find in the learning center at the moment 🤓 but I don't want to get my hopes up too high until I know for sure she is committed.
today she spent the whole day in the nest and I had to put water and food in front of her face to make her eat, but has been just one day... let's see how tomorrow goes!
 

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