Is my hen broody?

[tarnte]

Until she stays in the box at night... her hormones are just building and she is not broody.

If she doesn't have eggs coming and is still going in the box.. it might be something to look out for. Internal laying and egg yolk peritonitis and egg binding are far to common. None of my ladies have quit laying before going broody. They usually just stay in the box after they lay their egg. Some have even laid an egg or two after starting to sit before completely stopping.

Though I think you are probably correct about it being beginning broody... I personally would NOT be pulling her out of the box just yet IN CASE she is trying to work something out and drop an egg.

Thanks! I saw she sneaked to sleep in the nesting box last night! But she came right out in the morning before the coop door opened. She stayed outside whole morning but she went back in the nesting box in the afternoon to brood ‘air’ again.... I think the signs are getting more obvious here.

I always wait for her to come out making her cluck cluck sound then go to check if there is any egg...and I haven’t seen one for almost a month now. I also checked and she has no egg binding.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Thanks! I saw she sneaked to sleep in the nesting box last night! But she came right out in the morning before the coop door opened. She stayed outside whole morning but she went back in the nesting box in the afternoon to brood ‘air’ again.... I think the signs are getting more obvious here.

I always wait for her to come out making her cluck cluck sound then go to check if there is any egg...and I haven’t seen one for almost a month now. I also checked and she has no egg binding.

She may stay in this weird half-thinking-about-it stage for a while, and then it can go either way. I have a hen that's pretty much stopped laying (she stopped early summer) but every so often she gets a period where she just wants to sit in the nest box for a while like she's laying, and even rearranges fake eggs to her liking, but then gets out and nothing comes of it. She did go broody several times in the past but apparently now is satisfied just testing the waters every few weeks.

 

[kiwi-chick]

Just be careful to make sure you get all the eggs every day - if you leave any behind you may find her sitting on them when you go to collect them.