How to tell if a chicken will sit

[XoPandora]

are there signs that I should see in a broody hen? I noticed one of my hens stays in a nest box with a bunch of eggs. It looks like she's been moving them around. And we have a rooster name Fabio who she's always fallowing around, but the last couple days I noticed we don't see her out much and she's not following him around when I look in her nest she's usually there. So is it likely she's sitting on the eggs?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Probably. A broody hen will be sitting on the clutch for about 23.5 hours a day. Coming off about once a day to defecate, eat, drink and stretch. If they don't stay that long, the eggs won't hatch.

 

[Golden Brahma 64]

How long and how often do you see her off her nest during the day ?
Does she behave broody when you go near her on the nest ? Growing/pecking and screaming?

 

[sourland]

If she sets on them overnight, she is broody.

 

[XoPandora]

If she sets on them overnight, she is broody.

We haven't seen her leave the nest sense we got home at 2:30 it's now 7:20 and she's still there. She isn't following her rooster like she has sense we got them. Haven't seen her out of the pin really in the last 3 days. Think I saw her once yesterday eating before she disappeared again. But she's not generally leaving the nest much

 

[sourland]

Make sure that other hens are not adding eggs to her clutch or disturbing her as this can make for a staggered hatch or disturbed incubation.

 

[XoPandora]

How long and how often do you see her off her nest during the day ?
Does she behave broody when you go near her on the nest ? Growing/pecking and screaming?

Maybe 1 time a day if that. We haven't gone in as we don't want to mess with her. But for her not to be right along side of Fabio is odd. And now we don't rarely see her out of her nest box

 

[XoPandora]

Make sure that other hens are not adding eggs to her clutch or disturbing her as this can make for a staggered hatch or disturbed incubation.

So shutting her in the pin is a good idea?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Make to mark all the eggs under her so you can remove any eggs other hens contribute to the nest.
Just wait till she comes off the nest to do her daily regimen and mark them with a magic marker while she is out.

 

[112Days]

With my designated broody, she gets shut in her own private pen and takes a 30-minute break every 12 hours or so (her current brood came a day early, probably because of this!). Don't mess with her if she's doing alright for herself, but mane sure she's eating, her comb is well-coloured, and is taking breaks once or twice a day. I actually have to take Lucky out to free range for 20-30 minutes twice a day and add egg yolk to her feed to keep her weight up.

That said, wait a few days to see if she's committed. If she's still sitting, switch her feed to chick starter - broodiness takes a heavy toll on the body. You can soak it into a mash with water or Nutridrench and sprinkle her favourite treat (Lucky likes blackberries, they're fairly nutritious) if she needs to be encouraged to eat.

Good luck in your hatching adventure!