I'm confused.. Is she going broody?!?

[GreenGoddess]

I have searched and cannot find the answer so I am turning to y'all...

I have a 1 year old hen that I hatched out myself last April.. She is a dark brahma bantam x Ameraucana and has never been broody... I grabbed the last of the eggs this evening and noticed a pile of black feathers (obviously hers since she's the only black chicken in there) in the nest box.. Sure enough, I checked under her and there is a huge bald patch on her breast.. I KNOW she does not have lice/mites and the first thing I thought of was that maybe she's going broody.. but, she's not sitting... I've never in the two years of keeping chickens had a broody.. Is this a sign that she is thinking about it? I thought they only pulled their breast feathers out once they were already sitting?!

I greatly appreciate ANY light y'all can shed on this subject...

Goddess

 

[CrazyChickensEverwhere]

I am not fully sure, But in a few days you will find out

Usually my hens (a day or 2 before going broody) they will sit longer in the nesting box like for a example, My Wellie will spend 15 mins in the box on average. Well a day before going broody she will take her sweet old time 1-2 hours.
Before going broody she will puff up and growl, when shes laying a egg she just screams at me.
a day before going broody she will lay a egg and get out later, and if a hen walks up to her she will stick her wings out, and growl.


there are some signs for me.

 

[GreenGoddess]

That's the funny thing.. This little girl has done all that since the day she started laying.. If she is in the nest box, she will puff up and growl like the dickens at me and heaven forbid I stick my hand in there to get the other eggs, she bites me... After she lays the egg, she will sit for a few minutes and then jump out.. The funniest thing though is she ALWAYS growls.. She is extremely vocal all the time.. I keep telling DH that she would make an awesome broody because she makes enough noise to keep anything away from the eggs... Nothing had changed until yesterday when she had pulled her feathers out in the nest box...

Goddess

 

[GreenGoddess]

Anyone?

Goddess

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I have had two broody hens and they didn't pull their feathers out.

The only thing I can think of is that she might be getting her feathers tugged on by other chickens? Mini-molt?

 

[Mrs. K]

I don't remember last year, but just a week ago, Butter was on the nest late in the afternoon, but then left it, the next day I put three brown rocks in her favorite nest, and the morning after that, that nest was filled with yellow down, and by late afternoon she was stuck tight as a tick. I have 9 eggs under her, and I swear 21 days is a very long time!!!

Broody hens are so much fun, that I hope I never have to go back to buying chicks or incubating

MrsK

 

[GreenGoddess]

ok... Here is what I am seeing...

This is the nest with all her feathers in it.. These were not in there the night before last.. Last night, there was a pile of them in the nest.. sorry, they are scattered now..

This is what her breast looks like.. it's not the greatest pic in the world since i had my 12 yr old taking the pic with my phone and he took it too quick.. The spot is a bit bigger but you get the idea...

This is what she's done to me since she started laying months ago... She's like a cat.. She loves attention but only when SHE wants it.. LOL (click to play video)



Goddess

 

[GreenGoddess]

It's been a week since she pulled out her feathers and until today, she was laying almost everyday.. I'm not sure if she has laid today or not but she has been on the nest for a few hours... I'm hoping this means she is ready to sit!! I guess I will find out when it gets dark and the others have gone up to roost.. Now I have a BIG question...

I only have ONE nestbox in the coop for the three girls.. IF she is broody, will moving her to a separate brooding pen/coop that I have disturb her and how do i do it?

I would LOVE for her to be ready to sit since i just got in Lav orp eggs today and can give those to her tomorrow! Also, she is not quite bantam size but close to it.. What is the maximum number of eggs I can give her? (I've seen posts where people have put up to 10-12 eggs under a bantam broody).. I got 15 eggs in today and would LOVE to be able to give them all to her so I can go ahead and shut my incubator down for the summer but not sure if that will be possible.. Is it?

Goddess

 

[stormylady]

I have nine broodies, my first year with them (broodies) and it seems to me that my girls pulled there feathers out gradually but I couldn't say for sure. I mean I never walked in to seeing a mass of feathers laying in there nest or anywhere else?

 

[PhoenixAngel429]

If she starts making a deep bauk bauk kind of noise and doesn't move around the coop much and stays in the nest box she is broody.