Is it common for a young hen to go broody?

[Ridgerunner]

There are several different signs that a pullet or hen might be broody or might be going broody. My test to determine if one is truly broody is where does she spend the nights. If she spends two consecutive nights on the nest instead of sleeping in her normal spot I consider her broody. It has to be two consecutive nights, not one.

is there any way to stop the broodiness would you know

Sometimes you can stop a hen from going broody that is showing some signs by removing her from the nest. Don't let her get too comfortable. But once one has truly committed to being broody it usually takes more effort. I lock them in a raised wire-bottomed cage for three days with food and water so they cannot go back to the nest. Others sometimes have success with other methods.

 

[Mid Wales chicken keeper]

If she persists this is a great article https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/broody-breaking-ala-aart.77915/

Thanks very much for the link to the article, good to know if things get out of hand

 

[Mid Wales chicken keeper]

There are several different signs that a pullet or hen might be broody or might be going broody. My test to determine if one is truly broody is where does she spend the nights. If she spends two consecutive nights on the nest instead of sleeping in her normal spot I consider her broody. It has to be two consecutive nights, not one.


Sometimes you can stop a hen from going broody that is showing some signs by removing her from the nest. Don't let her get too comfortable. But once one has truly committed to being broody it usually takes more effort. I lock them in a raised wire-bottomed cage for three days with food and water so they cannot go back to the nest. Others sometimes have success with other methods.

Thanks ridgerunner, she spent last night on the nest as well, but after a lot of squawking she accepted being shooed out of the coop, she had already laid, as had the others and was sitting on all the eggs. We have 3 nest boxes (and 3 chickens) but they all like to use the same one

 

[Mid Wales chicken keeper]

This... I have multiple broody pullets at the moment, and one with 8 littles.
It seems to spread like a lovely virus !!View attachment 4097795

Lovely photo, thanks very much

 

[Mid Wales chicken keeper]

My favorite mama was a Sussex. I was just reminiscing about her the other day. She was probably three or four in this picture but your post reminded me of her so…View attachment 4097846

Beautiful feathers, thanks for the photo

 

[Mid Wales chicken keeper]

It's official, she's definitely broody. I didn't have the heart (or a suitable cage) to break the broodiness, so I got a couple of China eggs that she's sitting on. Hopefully she'll realise that they're not going to hatch and abandon then at some point, I read it takes about 2 weeks.
We shoo her out of the coop each day, she screeches all the time whilst she's eating and digging in the dirt for about 20 to 30 minutes and goes straight back to the nest.
She laid her last egg on the 17th April, (which was tiny) so by my reckoning she will hopefully be over it by the beginning of May. Fingers crossed.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

It's official, she's definitely broody. I didn't have the heart (or a suitable cage) to break the broodiness, so I got a couple of China eggs that she's sitting on. Hopefully she'll realise that they're not going to hatch and abandon then at some point, I read it takes about 2 weeks.
We shoo her out of the coop each day, she screeches all the time whilst she's eating and digging in the dirt for about 20 to 30 minutes and goes straight back to the nest.
She laid her last egg on the 17th April, (which was tiny) so by my reckoning she will hopefully be over it by the beginning of May. Fingers crossed.

I don’t know where you heard about that but I don’t think that’s a good idea at all. She will just stay on the eggs and slowly waste away.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

I don’t know where you heard about that but I don’t think that’s a good idea at all. She will just stay on the eggs and slowly waste away.

I agree with this 100%...broodies do not eat, drink, and care for themselves the way a normal hen would, and as a result they lose condition during the brooding process. Some hens will eventually break, others will literally waste away and die.

 

[Mid Wales chicken keeper]

OMG, BlindLemonChicken and Auntiejessi3, thank you so much for setting me straight. For info, a local farmer recommended the sitting on fake eggs method. As I don't have a suitable cage, and to be honest can't afford to buy a dog cage or similar, I'll just have to shut her out of the coop during the day after the other 2 have laid. They all have free range access and to food and water outside. I have just read that at night I should place her on the roosting bar with the others when it's to dark for her to jump back down, is this OK?

 

[Auntiejessi3]

OMG, BlindLemonChicken and Auntiejessi3, thank you so much for setting me straight. For info, a local farmer recommended the sitting on fake eggs method. As I don't have a suitable cage, and to be honest can't afford to buy a dog cage or similar, I'll just have to shut her out of the coop during the day after the other 2 have laid. They all have free range access and to food and water outside. I have just read that at night I should place her on the roosting bar with the others when it's to dark for her to jump back down, is this OK?

Absolutely! Let them lay, then lock her out, straight to the roost at night.