how do i tell if a hen is broody?

[Rockland Farm]

how can i tell when one of my hens gets 'broody'? They are not old enough to yet i believe, but when they are older how can i tell?

 

[busylizzie]

My broody is young......she is about 24-26 weeks old......I am a beginner but I could tell when she sat in the nest box all day and then stopped laying. Plus she is grumpy and will peck

good luck

 

[Rockland Farm]

thank you!

 

[Camelot Farms]

This would be a sign....

courtesy of miron28...roflmbo!

 

[tofuranch]

great picture with the puppy

my broody right now will not let anyone in the laying box at all, so she got moved to a dog crate so everyone else can have the laying boxes

 

[Rockland Farm]

thanks everyone! and AWWWW that picture with the puppy is sooo adorable

 

[Ang]

Here is a pic of my broody I took this week. They will get all puffed up and defensive when you try to move them off the nest. Or in this case if you just peek in to take a picture.

 

[Davaroo]

There is an old saying that goes:

"A broody hen is like feathered, demon possessed beach ball, armed with an icepick."

They hunker down in the nest, puff up and get all glassy eyed as if out of their head. You need a pry bar to get them out of the nest, and once out, they come behind you and get back in. Put your hand anywhere near them and they will peck a hole in it.

Not to hard to tell a broody hen.

 

[greathorse]

Yeppers once you have one you will never wonder again. A broody is unmistakable. I have two Cuckoo Marans right now, they are kind of getting on my nerves.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Davaroo, I like that!

Here's a broody checklist:
If she is on the nest at bedtime, she's probably broody
If she repeatedly returns to the nest after removing her, she is probably broody
If she screeches at anything and anyone that comes near her while on the nest (and this does mean you too), she is probably broody


Yeah, basically all that