How do i know if my hen is broody???

[LoveChickens123]

Okay so I have a 8month old silkie hen who i believe is broody i really don't know
She has been siting on the eggs for about 2 days. could she be broody??
She got down this morning then she went back up.
I try not to disturb her but i put a plastic pan in there with hay and put the eggs and her in it because her eggs started falling down when she rotated them.

So any advice would be great! Thanks,
Lynn

 

[appps]

If you want to know if she is broody take her out and see if she runs straight back. Leave it a couple of hours till there is no chance she is still trying to lay an egg and take her out again. If she still runs straight back sounds like a broody.

A true broody needs days being refused access to their nest to get over being broody so lifting her off a couple times isn't going to do anything to her determination if she's broody.

 

[donrae]

My criteria for being broody is spending two nights in a row on the nest. I've had hens dink around spending most of the day on the nest for several days, but roosting at night. I don't give them the eggs I want them to hatch until they've spent two nights in a row there, then I set eggs and mark the calendar.

 

[LoveChickens123]

My criteria for being broody is spending two nights in a row on the nest. I've had hens dink around spending most of the day on the nest for several days, but roosting at night. I don't give them the eggs I want them to hatch until they've spent two nights in a row there, then I set eggs and mark the calendar.

thanks

 

[LoveChickens123]

do the hens stay on the eggs more than 21 days

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

do the hens stay on the eggs more than 21 days

The answer to that would be it depends - if, for example, none of the eggs hatch at 21 days, then a hen will stay on the nest waiting (usually in vain) for them to hatch. However, once the eggs begin to hatch, a hen will remain on the nest for a day or so to allow the rest of the eggs to hatch - but at the end of that she will abandon the nest and any unhatched eggs as she has to move off and begin her job mothering the chicks that have arrived, which requires her to take them out to begin life in the world learning to get food, water, etc.

 

[Blooie]

If you reach under her and come back missing a thumb, she's broody. If you are looking for medieval armor to wear to go in and clean the coop. she's broody. If the other chickens look at her like she's grown two heads, she's broody. If you are panicking because you haven't seen her leave the nest in days to eat or drink, she's broody. And if you have no rooster, no fertile eggs, and she's trying to hatch a wooden egg, she's broody.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

If you reach under her and come back missing a thumb, she's broody. If you are looking for medieval armor to wear to go in and clean the coop. she's broody. If the other chickens look at her like she's grown two heads, she's broody. If you are panicking because you haven't seen her leave the nest in days to eat or drink, she's broody. And if you have no rooster, no fertile eggs, and she's trying to hatch a wooden egg, she's broody.

LOL - so true - and on the last one, I'd add if she is trying to hatch an empty nest.

 

[donrae]

If you reach under her and come back missing a thumb, she's broody. If you are looking for medieval armor to wear to go in and clean the coop. she's broody. If the other chickens look at her like she's grown two heads, she's broody. If you are panicking because you haven't seen her leave the nest in days to eat or drink, she's broody. And if you have no rooster, no fertile eggs, and she's trying to hatch a wooden egg, she's broody.

Yes, yes and yes!

I wish I'd saved the pic someone posted a while back, a bird setting on a pile of nuts and bolts. She was determined to hatch them out!

 

[LoveChickens123]

Okay another question (sorry for asking all if these I have never had a broody hen) when and if the eggs hatch should I keep her in the pen with the chicks till they get bigger to make sure they don't get attacked or lost or let them out with the hen