Is my hen becomming broody?

[Original Recipe]

So probably 3 or 4 times over the last couple of weeks, I've gone out to collect eggs and found them all arranged in a perfect circle. Seemed a bit odd but I didn't really think anything about it. Then on Sat. I was home all day and spent the entire day outside working on my garden. My girls were out ranging but I noticed them coming and going from the coop and could hear them scratching in the nest box. After a while I decided to collect eggs but when I opened the box someone was still in there so I left her alone to finish up. A half hour l checked again and she was still sitting there. I checked again15 minutes later and she was still there and another hen was sitting next to her and one waiting (my nest box is supposed to have two stalls but I never got around to putting the divider in). The next time I checked she was still there and there were two eggs in the spot beside her. Well a couple of hours pass and I check again and sure enough she is still there only the two eggs next to her were gone. I picked her up and there were eight eggs (one for each of my girls) arranged in a perfect circle under her. So she was not only sitting on the entire flock's eggs, but she actually moved eggs from the other side of the box to her side.

Is this typical broody behavior or just boredom? I haven't found her sitting on eggs before and she didn't put up a protest when I moved her. Also, this was a Golden Comet, I thought that it wasn't typical for the sex linked hybrids to go broody.

 

[PSJ]

Yes, this is typical broody behavior. The only concern is that she let you move her without putting up a fuss. Did she ever go back and get on the nest?

 

[Original Recipe]

No and she wasn't sitting on today's eggs when I got home, so maybe a fluke. I guess I shouldn't be too concerned unless she starts doing it often. I've no need for a broody since we don't have a roo.

 

[PSJ]

since you don't have a roo, I would just take the eggs from her daily so they don't pile up and give her a reason to want to sit

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

Be warned, some hens will sit whether they've got eggs or not, you might have to break her instead of just waiting her out. They don't eat and drink like they're supposed to, which causes them to loose weight. Weighting her out could be bad for her health...good luck!