I think I may have my first Broody!

[chickengrl]

So, my black copper Marans hen, Gertrude, may be broody. I work long hours and I just realized that for the past 3 days she is in the same nesting box. Yesterday I tried to tip her out of it to collect eggs, but she flattened out and would not budge. They usually come out complaining bitterly. My husband lets them out in the morning, so I can't say if she is still in there in the mornings. (he has been on nights and I keep forgetting to ask) This afternnoon when I came home form work she was still in there and will not move. I tried to touch her and she pecked at me. I then set 2 freshly collected eggs in there and she BIT me, not pecked...BIT! Ouch! When I checked her later the eggs were no longer sitting next to her in the box. They were gone and she was giving me one mean girl look.

So, is she Broody? I have never had one before. Do Marans tend to be broody? are they good mothers? Do I need to do anything for her? She is in the main coop and all the others birds are in there to. Will she get up for food or do I have to make her get up? Help?

 

[Pinky]

Sounds like a broody. She probably tucked the eggs you put in there under her. I don't have marans so I don't know if they are good mothers but she probably will be. Other hens may continue to lay eggs in her nest so if you leave her there you might want to mark her original eggs. Oh, and I always make my broody hens get up to eat and relieve themselves. It lets me know that she is eating and I see how they are going to act around the other birds when her eggs hatch. When they get up I also take any extra eggs out the nest.

 

[7&8]

Hey there, chickengrl! She sure sounds broody! Nice, knowledgeable folks will reply to your question here, but there's a great BYC forum devoted to hatching & incubating eggs where you can read to your heart's content on broody care & natural hatching. Good luck!

 

[chickengrl]

Soo, how do you get them up without losing a finger? Do I need welding gloves?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hi chickengrl, why not join us over in hatching and incubating eggs, theres a bunch of us that have broodys over there.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=6286984#p6286984