Is my hen going broody?

[Backyard Bob]

One of my free range White Leghorn hens was singing the egg sound out in the trees a ways. We wondered over there and sit down. She walked to her nest, pushed the eggs in a pile with her beak, then fluffed up really big and started throwing leaves on her back. Then she went to sleep. Any ideas whats going on?

Thanks!

 

[Veer67]

I see that happen once in a while with my Easter Egger who sometimes finds a secret place to lay her eggs though she has never gone broody. Every few days she will switch to another private place to lay her egg, I also have seen my broody BO do it. Does she insist on staying there for the night? My BO once sneaked into the neighbor's garage intending on staying there with her eggs in the night, I had to pick her up from her "nest" and put her back in the coop. Your hen could also not be a very serious broody.

 

[Backyard Bob]

Thank you! I will see if she insists on staying over night. If she does, I think I might move her and her nest to a broody pen. Lots of night time critters around here!
Thank you very much!

 

[LTygress]

I took the advice from another poster here on BYC and it has been the best advice anyone has given me.

To determine whether or not your hen is actually "broody" then she has to spend TWO consecutive nights on the nest, and NOT up with the others roosting on something. Sometimes they may spend one night (perhaps she has an egg that will be laid first thing in the morning). Sometimes, they may spend two non-consecutive nights for whatever reason. But unless she spends two CONSECUTIVE nights on the nest, don't count on her.

My bantam hens will sit in their nest box for HOURS before laying their egg. The large fowl will only rest there about 30 minutes or so before laying and moving on. But both of them will arrange nesting material there, fall asleep, and even stand up and rearrange the eggs every now and then, pulling them tighter underneath her. But they won't leave the nest until they have laid their egg. Once that happens, they are up and off with the flock again.