how can you tell if a chicken is broody?

[creative.hortic]

sorry, i am really new to this, so bear with me!
do they just sit in the nest box all day?

 

[gryeyes]

Well, that's one sign.

They will puff up, raise their neck feathers and make a growling sound if you reach to take an egg from underneath them. Their normal broody posture in the nest is not just sitting there (you know they are crouched and semi-standing when they lay an egg, right?) but they almost flatten out really low and wide.

Plus, they do not go to roost at night, but stay on the nest.

Hope this helps!

 

[noodleroo]

Quote:
Yep. They look kinda flattened out on the nest and will most likely draw blood if you try to reach under them...

 

[creative.hortic]

it does, thanks!
i just recently learned what the silly "squat" meant too......those girls know who's boss!!!

 

[Pinky]

At 00:12 you can see my broody buff orp. hen. They will run around all puffed up when not on their nest. This year she's not broody(for now

)

 

[Ridgerunner]

All that they said. I sometimes have hens that do some of this, including growl or peck at you if you reach under them in the nest, and walk around outside all fluffed up and making that clucking sound, yet not really be broody. The hormiones are acting up but they don't totally kick in.

If a hen stays on the nest instead of roosting in her regular spot for two consecutive nights, I give her eggs to hatch. No matter what else she is doing, she does not get eggs until she spends two consecutive nights on the nest. Some of them will fool you.

 

[dretd]

One of my girls went broody last summer. She sat in the nest box all the time. She would steal eggs from the adjacent nest and sometimes have 14 eggs under her from thievery in the morning. My daughter was worried so she would hand feed Cluckles as she sat on the eggs and gave her drinks from a ramekin. Here are 2 pictures of her:

This is her on the nest. Hopefully you can tell she's puffed out and flattened. Imagine she is growling at me:

This is her when we forced her off the nest for fresh air, think small mad tom turkey:

 

[Pinky]

Small mad tom turkey is a great description!

 

[bakerjw]

lol....

Mine go "puk" incessantly. When my last one would leave the next area to go with the rest of the flock we'd identify her by the soft "puk puk puk puk puk"

 

[DTRM30]

If they do go broody and you let them and just wait it out - watch for mites and lice. They will take advantage of a hen sitting all day very quickly.