Is My Hen Going Broody ?

[steve232]

I have a cuckoo maran hen named Rose. She has been laying really well since I got her in December. She laid an egg Monday and I noticed on Monday afternoon Monroe (Rhode Island Rooster) was chasing her quiet a bit. Then on Tuesday she didn't lay at all but she of course does miss a day here and there so that wasn't unusual. But I noticed Monroe was chasing her even worse and she was making a non stop sound like she was clucking. However she is still in the run with the other chickens but running from Monroe a lot. I am wondering if this sounds like Rose is trying to go broody ?

 

[LRH97]

Have you noticed her spending lots of time in a nesting box? A broody hen will NOT want to move off of one. I have noticed that some of my hens that try to go broody do get picked on a little. Usually you'll notice her in a nest first, however.

 

[steve232]

Yeah I would have thought she would be spending a lot of time on the next but shes really not. Tuesday morning I did see her on the nest but then I saw the dominate hen (a barred rock) in the flock run her off the nest and take over it. I have 4 nest but of course they all think they have to use the same one. Guess I'll have to give it a day or two and see if she begins staying on the nest more or even if she were to lay again on Wednesday. She normally don't miss two days in a row laying.

 

[LRH97]

Yeah I would have thought she would be spending a lot of time on the next but shes really not. Tuesday morning I did see her on the nest but then I saw the dominate hen (a barred rock) in the flock run her off the nest and take over it. I have 4 nest but of course they all think they have to use the same one. Guess I'll have to give it a day or two and see if she begins staying on the nest more or even if she were to lay again on Wednesday. She normally don't miss two days in a row laying.

If you want her to go broody, maybe try putting 5-6 fake eggs or golf balls in a nest and see if she'll take the bait. It may take some time, but I usually get two or three hens per year to set using that method.

 

[steve232]

If you want her to go broody, maybe try putting 5-6 fake eggs or golf balls in a nest and see if she'll take the bait. It may take some time, but I usually get two or three hens per year to set using that method.

Thanks but not sure I really want her to right now. My rooster is only something like 7 months old and I'm not real sure hes getting all of the eggs fertilized just yet. I only got him about a month ago and hes just beginning to take dominance of the flock. However if she does go broody I may attempt to let her set on 4-6 eggs.

 

[aart]

She's probably annoyed and stressed that this cockerel is chasing her and won't leave her alone, she may not want to submit to him.
The stress may effect her egg production.

Broodiness is dictated by hormones, if a hen is broody, she's broody...stashes of eggs will not make her go broody.
A broody hen will sit on most anything (or nothing) including a rock.
She will stay flattened out in the nest all day and night and may growl, hiss, peck when disturbed.
If you take her out of nest and stand her on the ground she may flatten out right there on the ground, almost in a trance.
She may snap out of it and run right back to nest or she may have a bite to eat, a sip to drink, drop a humongous noxiously putrid turd then run back to the nest.

Only time and observation will tell the true tale.