Is My Hen Broody? What Should I Do?

[TheAlarmCluck]

One of my leghorn hens was sitting on an egg for the whole night. She showed attempts to gather eggs in a seperate location. She frequently goes inside and tries to make a nest after we took out the egg. Is she broody? If she is, what should I do? This is my first time with a broody hen and I have no idea what to do. I do have a rooster, and her eggs might be fertile.
Thanks for any help!

 

[violeth]

hi there, you most likely have a broody hen. our hens does the exact same thing. if you dont want chicks, we have found that putting her in a seperate enclosure with food and water without eggs, for about 3 days (but she must not be able to come in and go out as she likes), usually breaks the broodiness. after day 3 we just let them out and they go back to doing their chicken business without staying on the nest. i dont know if this works for all breeds, but it does for mine. if you want chicks, just leave her to sit on the eggs. she will come out to eat and drink if she is hungry and thirsty, but sometimes they wont come out and we will pick them up and put them on the lawn with food and water once a day in the afternoon. they will usually then go for a quick bath in the sand and return to the nest to keep the egg warm again.

 

[Kryptic]

Wire bottom cage with food and water. That normally works..

 

[violeth]

Wire bottom cage with food and water. That normally works..

yes for us too

 

[TheAlarmCluck]

hi there, you most likely have a broody hen. our hens does the exact same thing. if you dont want chicks, we have found that putting her in a seperate enclosure with food and water without eggs, for about 3 days (but she must not be able to come in and go out as she likes), usually breaks the broodiness. after day 3 we just let them out and they go back to doing their chicken business without staying on the nest. i dont know if this works for all breeds, but it does for mine. if you want chicks, just leave her to sit on the eggs. she will come out to eat and drink if she is hungry and thirsty, but sometimes they wont come out and we will pick them up and put them on the lawn with food and water once a day in the afternoon. they will usually then go for a quick bath in the sand and return to the nest to keep the egg warm again.

Should I separate her and the eggs or not?
Should I gather eggs before letting her sit on them?
Thanks.

 

[violeth]

Should I separate her and the eggs or not?
Should I gather eggs before letting her sit on them?
Thanks.

Of you want her to sit on eggs you can give her all the eggs you want her to hatch now while she is broody.
If you dont want her to hatch eggs you need to follow the advise of taking away all eggs and putting her in a steel floor enclosure with food and water for about 3 days.

 

[TheAlarmCluck]

Of you want her to sit on eggs you can give her all the eggs you want her to hatch now while she is broody.
If you dont want her to hatch eggs you need to follow the advise of taking away all eggs and putting her in a steel floor enclosure with food and water for about 3 days.

Thanks. Should I gather her own eggs so she can sit on them or buy fertile eggs?

 

[citymeetscountry]

Thanks. Should I gather her own eggs so she can sit on them or buy fertile eggs?

Do you have a rooster? I don’t see why you’d need to buy fertile eggs unless yours aren’t.

also I’ve been told unless she’s sitting on the nest day/night she’s not broody

LHs typically don’t go broody (doesn’t mean they can’t). I have one that will sit on eggs, board others eggs. Flatten out on top of them when I go to collect them and refuse to leave the nest/growl a little bit. But when I collect the eggs she eventually goes about her business.

 

[TheAlarmCluck]

Do you have a rooster? I don’t see why you’d need to buy fertile eggs unless yours aren’t.

also I’ve been told unless she’s sitting on the nest day/night she’s not broody

LHs typically don’t go broody (doesn’t mean they can’t). I have one that will sit on eggs, board others eggs. Flatten out on top of them when I go to collect them and refuse to leave the nest/growl a little bit. But when I collect the eggs she eventually goes about her business.

I do have a rooster and the eggs are most likely fertile. She goes in and out of the small house where she made a nest. The eggs aren't there right now because I am gathering the infertile eggs. She doesn't sit on the eggs day and night, because there are none. When there were eggs, she sat on it for the whole night.

 

[violeth]

I do have a rooster and the eggs are most likely fertile. She goes in and out of the small house where she made a nest. The eggs aren't there right now because I am gathering the infertile eggs. She doesn't sit on the eggs day and night, because there are none. When there were eggs, she sat on it for the whole night.

if you put eggs in that nest where she goes, she will stay there for 21 days or until the eggs hatch, which sometimes can take up to 25 days depending on various factors. just put the eggs in the nest where she wants to be. you should have chicks within 3 weeks.