Is my hen broody? What is it?

[Ohhhdear]

I have ISA Brown hens and no roosters. I collect 10-12 eggs every morning. My hens are really pets and very friendly and gentle birds.

For the past week one hen has returned to the coop and one particular nest box and settled in, snuggling on top of the fake egg and not wanting to leave. She doesn't object if it pet her or lift her gently to check for more eggs. This morning I slipped a couple more of the fake eggs under her just to see what she'd to and she sortof sighed and settled in happily on top. This is not the first time this hen has done this, but it's not lasted this long.

She gets along well with the other hens, in fact she's near the top of the pecking order. I see her leaving the coop occasionally, but she returns to that particular nest box.

My question is... is she really broody? What does that mean for egg production? Will she continue to lay if I remove her eggs and the fake ones too? Is it unusual for production birds like ISA Browns to go broody? Is it healthier for her to just let her brood for a while and then get over it on her own?

Thanks!

 

[NellaBean]

Try sticking eggs in front of her. See if she will tuck them under her on her own. Usually broodies will fluff up or get angry about being bothered.....to varying degrees, I have super mean ones and some that aren't bad, but I rarely get any that just don't care.

Usually once they are broody they will stop laying. While the production breeds aren't "usually" broody, there are still individuals who "break the mold". My leghornX hens are the broodiest of the bunch. Their moms were full production hens.

Is it possible she is blocked? And so wanting to lay an egg but can't?

 

[Ohhhdear]

Quote:
I'll try just putting the fake eggs in front of her... great idea.

Also, how do I tell if she's blocked? What do I do if she is?