Is She Broody or Crazy?

[Aunt Angus]

I'm still thinking I might try to get her to take chicks. She's only on day 3, though, so we will see. Just kinda worried about her weight. Should I put food and water near her? I assume she gets off occasionally, but, oh, she seemed so skinny this evening.

 

[MROO]

Here is Poppy, my 8-month-old pullet. She stayed there all yesterday and tonight. Considering seeing if she will adopt chicks after a few weeks.

(Hope I added the video correctly)

Looks and sounds like you've got yourself a full-blown broody! And a very irritated one, at that! Have you considered giving her some fertile eggs?

 

[MROO]

I'm still thinking I might try to get her to take chicks. She's only on day 3, though, so we will see. Just kinda worried about her weight. Should I put food and water near her? I assume she gets off occasionally, but, oh, she seemed so skinny this evening.

Yes, put food and water close by. You could give her some scrambled egg or yolk, too - and keep an eye on her. I've had a couple of really young pullets go broody on fertile nests, only to abandon them midway through - crazy teenage-chicken hormones, I guess! If she does, and you catch them in time, you can transfer them to an incubator, so make sure it's clean and handy ... just in case!

 

[Acre4Me]

I'm still thinking I might try to get her to take chicks. She's only on day 3, though, so we will see. Just kinda worried about her weight. Should I put food and water near her? I assume she gets off occasionally, but, oh, she seemed so skinny this evening.

Yes, see how she does. If she sits for 3 weeks, then give her chicks in the dark, when she is already asleep. We would tuck them under her wings. But, in the meantime, she should have access to water and food, and I agree that you might want to give her some nutritious "treats" like some scrambled egg, etc and watch her health and weight.

 

[HeartsDelight]

Yes, if she can eat and drink without leaving the nest, she will keep her condition better. Mealworms are also another great high protein treat.

The pale comb is normal for a broody, the red flush to the comb is related to their laying hormones. They go pale in the comb when they stop laying (broody, over the winter, whatever reason) and it flushes bright again when they are about to resume laying.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I put food in the nest. She is sleeping now, but I will add water in the morning. And I will give her some extra protein, too.

Thanks, everyone! This is uncharted territory for me.

 

[aart]

Could be broody...tho some of my non-broody layers screech like that, at other hens that come close and me... even the ones that allow me to take eggs from right under them.
These are the signs I look for:
Is she on nest most the day and all night?
When you pull her out of nest and put her on the ground, does she flatten right back out into a fluffy screeching pancake?
Does she walk around making a low cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck(ticking bomb) sound on her way back to the nest?
If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.
Lots of ways to manage a broody hen.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Could be broody...tho some of my non-broody layers screech like that, at other hens that come close and me... even the ones that allow me to take eggs from right under them.
These are the signs I look for:
Is she on nest most the day and all night?
When you pull her out of nest and put her on the ground, does she flatten right back out into a fluffy screeching pancake?
Does she walk around making a low cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck(ticking bomb) sound on her way back to the nest?
If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.
Lots of ways to manage a broody hen.

She's def broody, then. I will isolate her this morning.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I would LOVE for her to rear a chick, but she will go broody again when I'll have more time.

 

[aart]

but she will go broody again when I'll have more time.

IME they never go broody when it's convenient