Is my Red Crested Polish hen Broody?

[littlechickenmama17]

My Polish chicken hen has been, continuisly through the week, been puffing up her feathers while walking around, staying pretty long in the nest box(though still gets up from it, but not sure if other hens kick her out or what...), and is now, starting today, in the nest box, flat as a pancake and starts making these sounds when I come near her and PECKS ME!! Is she Broody? Of course, the problem thats coming up is she is setting in a popular nest box with 6 other hens who love that area too... Do we move her? We really want her to hatch some fluffy butts but our last "broody" seemed that way except she just sat in the box all day. After two days, she would leave the nest for more than an hour and come back to cooled eggs. She finally broke but we are now skeptical with our Polish hen.... She has about 7 eggs under her. What do I do??? HELP!!

 

[azygous]

A lot of things are involved in the decision to allow a broody to sit eggs and raise chicks. Is she old enough? Does she have the right temperament? Usually hens under a year are poor candidates. Do you have a secure place for her to incubate the eggs without other hens crowding the nest, laying their eggs, and in the process, breaking the hatching eggs? Ideally, a brooding nest should be in a secure spot in the coop, floor level so the small chicks can get in and out of the nest, and they're protected from the other chickens.

She does sound broody. Your decision rests on whether she's a good candidate to raise chicks. If not, you would do well to break her by using a cage with open mesh floor for cooling air to disrupt the broody hormones. It takes about three days to get the broody hormones to cool down.

 

[littlechickenmama17]

Thank you so much!! But do we need to move her to a spot the other hens won't crowd as much? Again, this spot she is setting in is popular

 

[littlechickenmama17]

But if we don't, the other hens crowding wont break her broodiness, right?

 

[aart]

But if we don't, the other hens crowding wont break her broodiness, right?

It might, also causes other issues.

When I have a broody and want her to hatch I wait until she's been in the nest most the day and all night for 2-3 days...along with those other signs I posted.

Then I put her in the broody enclosure with fake eggs in the floor nest, she won't like being moved, but if she is truly good and broody she will settle onto the new nest within a half a day.
Then I give her fresh fertile eggs and mark the calendar.

I like them separated by wire from the flock, it's just easier all around.
No having to mark eggs and remove any additions daily, no taking up a laying nest, no going back to the wrong nest after the daily constitutional.

I remove barrier about one week after hatch. The chicks are usually safe it's the broody who has to 'fight' her way back into the pecking order...which can be quick or take a few days.

Lots of space helps for re-integration.

 

[Reggan]

Oh and a piece of advice (if ever applicable)... don't let two broodys hatch at the same time if in the same coop. I posted about it. It's still WWE down in my coop. Thank goodness I have enough space. They re-integrated and one mama would rather the other mama die right now.
Having left my girls in their nesting boxes up until hatch (and all the chaos which came with that-read my post) I will not do it again. I may not move them right away, but I will move them. Many people do it both ways, but I will take @aart 's advice next spring.