Is my hen broody?

[riacz]

Hi everyone, I have three hens, approximately two years old. One of them went broody a couple of months ago, so I got her some fertilized eggs ( I don't have any roosters), three of which hatched about four weeks ago. Due to some extremely hot days here, I put the chicks in with the other two hens at about two weeks, and they all got along beautifully. Until about two days ago, that is, guywhen one of my hens, Gladys, attacked one of the chicks. She was pretty aggressive. She wasn't spending a lot of time in the coop, so I didn't consider her being broody, but today she won't leave her spot in the coop, and she's sitting on all of the eggs. Do you think she's broody, or is she turning aggressive firey some other reason?

 

[Dawnclucks22]

If you approach her does she fluff up and make a deep defensive growl? Does she sleep on the roost at night? These are pretty good indicators.

 

[BYCforlife]

If you approach her does she fluff up and make a deep defensive growl? Does she sleep on the roost at night? These are pretty good indicators.

I agree. Also, are her chest feathers pulled out?

 

[riacz]

Yes, she does fluff up, and she makes a noise, but it's not really a growl. More like repeating short, low clucks continuously, which I've never heard her do before. And no, she's not sleeping on her roost. She's currently sleeping on the floor of the coop, on some eggs. She's slept there the past few nights, but she has left the coop for a bit to free range during the day. My other hen never left the coop when she was broody, so this behavior is a little different. This is all new to me, so I only have the one experience to refer to.

 

[riacz]

No, but this had only been going on for a couple of days.

 

[BYCforlife]

Yes, she does fluff up, and she makes a noise, but it's not really a growl. More like repeating short, low clucks continuously, which I've never heard her do before. And no, she's not sleeping on her roost. She's currently sleeping on the floor of the coop, on some eggs. She's slept there the past few nights, but she has left the coop for a bit to free range during the day. My other hen never left the coop when she was broody, so this behavior is a little different. This is all new to me, so I only have the one experience to refer to.

My first broody left the coop about twice a week, hatch was successfull.

 

[Wilmer Gehman]

some signs of broodiness are:
1.sitting on eggs day and night
2. fluffing feathers and making noises when you come near her
3. plucked, bare chest
4. chest very warm
5. if you take her out of the coop, she is shaky
she is broody(most likely) if all of these signs occur.

 

[silkieRaiser]

Sounds like she is broody. If you are still not sure and she is "broody" for a while some color might run out of her comb.