I think I have a broody

[SarahBeth9394]

So now my ladies are a year old and I only have hens. I've noticed that the last two days one of my EE's has been staying on the nest. Each time my hubby and I have gone outside we've noticed that she's been in the coop. When gathering eggs I have to stick my hand under her and get the eggs. So I'm wondering if she's gone broody. But I only have hens. Will a roo-less flock have girls that go broody too?

 

[Ridgerunner]

A hen will go broody without a rooster around. You just will not have fertile eggs.

My test to see of they are serious about being broody is where they spend the night. I've had some pretend to be broody during the day, staying on the nest, walking around fluffed up and clucking, all the other signs. But they did not spend the night on the nest but roosted instead so they did not get any eggs. All these quit in a week or so. For mine to get eggs, she has to spend two consecutive nights on the nest.

If she is broody and you want her to hatch eggs, you can find fertile eggs. You can post on your state thread on this forum for people close to you, you can ask at the feed store, or you can go on Craigslist.

If you don't want her to hatch chicks, you need to break her from being broody. It's hard on them being broody and some will go for months unless you intervene. This thread can help with that.

Break a Broody Thread
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=2176186#p2176186

 

[SarahBeth9394]

All my ladies seem to like the same next box. Maybe one egg a day will be in the other nest box. So she's getting booted out of the nest box by the other hens several times a day. I think I'll go out and remove her a few times a day as well and see how that goes. I can keep the door to the other nest box open and see if that helps.