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

[maceleneo]

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!

actually I'm not even sure I have fertile eggs, my rooster is just as inexperienced as I am
but I would love to give it a try!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I had to put water and food in front of her face to make her eat

No you don't. She will come off to eat, drink, and poop. She should know to not poop in her nest.

Before they go broody or even begin to lay they store up a lot of excess fat. That fat is what she mostly lives on when broody. That way she can stay in the nest instead of having to be out looking for food and water. So don't expect to see her off the nest much.

 

[maceleneo]

at the moment she's in a nest in the coop, but if she really goes broody I'll have to move her, because the nest is elevated and doesn't seem convenient for chicks.
she chose everyone's favorite nest and today there was a lot of pressure around there, I'm not sure if she would be confortable to leave the nest knowing that other hens are waiting to "steal" it. I didn't know she stored some fat, this is reassuring!
if she really goes broody I guess I'm going to separate her from other hens, but this is exactly the kind of stuff about which I would like to ask some advice!

 

[Sooner Magnolia]

at the moment she's in a nest in the coop, but if she really goes broody I'll have to move her, because the nest is elevated and doesn't seem convenient for chicks.
she chose everyone's favorite nest and today there was a lot of pressure around there, I'm not sure if she would be confortable to leave the nest knowing that other hens are waiting to "steal" it. I didn't know she stored some fat, this is reassuring!
if she really goes broody I guess I'm going to separate her from other hens, but this is exactly the kind of stuff about which I would like to ask some advice!

You could try her in a dog crate in or near the coop. Put some eggs or golf balls and nesting material in there and lock her up for a while. Hang a rabbit water bottle on the door. If she's serious about raising chicks, and stays on the eggs after a day or two being locked up, you can give her some of your eggs or even buy hatching eggs so you get breeds you want and leave the crate open so she can get out to eat and poop. Sometimes if you try to move them mid-incubation they quit.

 

[Blue Raptor]

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.

If she is broody, she will fluff out her feather, act cranky, not want to be around the other hens, set on eggs for hours, probably peck your hand.

 

[AntiqueB]

I jinxed myself by the previous post. When I went out with their evening meal, Love was on her nest, unwilling to come out for dinner. I picked her up and took her out, and she ate, but then went back in. Of course, my kid was given a possibly fertile egg a week ago, so that's in an incubator. If she'd decided to do this a couple weeks ago. . .

Maybe I'll get lucky and she'll be broody for the 2 chicks I have coming in June!

 

[Sooner Magnolia]

I jinxed myself by the previous post. When I went out with their evening meal, Love was on her nest, unwilling to come out for dinner. I picked her up and took her out, and she ate, but then went back in. Of course, my kid was given a possibly fertile egg a week ago, so that's in an incubator. If she'd decided to do this a couple weeks ago. . .

Maybe I'll get lucky and she'll be broody for the 2 chicks I have coming in June!

If she's still broody after 10 days or so, you can take that egg and put it under her at night. She should finish incubating and raise it. If that is the only one you have incubating, it would probably be the best way to add that baby to your flock.

 

[AntiqueB]

Will and egg that may hatch after a week or so under her fool her?

 

[NatJ]

Will and egg that may hatch after a week or so under her fool her?

Probably yes.

 

[aart]

Maybe I'll get lucky and she'll be broody for the 2 chicks I have coming in June!

I wouldn't let her sit that long...not good for her health.

Of course, my kid was given a possibly fertile egg a week ago, so that's in an incubator.

You have a single egg in an incubator?

Will and egg that may hatch after a week or so under her fool her?

I wouldn't risk it....you're not even sure she's truly broody yet.