Is she broody?! What is broody?

[callmeskipper]

I am very new to backyard chickens, so I am hoping someone can help me understand my chicken's behavior. (We love our girls very much, and most of all I want to make sure she isn't ill; she appears normal in all other ways.) We have 4 hens of different breeds, all under 1 yr of age, no roosters (we are not in a rural area), and they have been laying eggs for about 6 mos. Our Buff Orpington has been sitting on eggs (her own and those of other hens). Is this because we are leaving them in the nesting boxes too long? Or is this a normal behaviour (fertile eggs or not)? Please advise, and thanks in advance.

 

[raindrop]

Does she sit on the nest all day and night and only get up once a day to eat/drink and poop a giant poop? When she is up does she walk around clucking and screeching with her feathers fluffed up? If so, she sounds like a broody! If she is just sitting all day when there are eggs in the nest she may be thinking of going broody. They don't know if the eggs are fertile or not. Some hens go broody, some don't. Some breeds are much more likely to go broody than others, Buff Orpingtons are one of the more broody breeds.

 

[chickenwoods]

Best broody description ive heard. lol



btw "poop a giant poop" AHAHAHAHAH

 

[WriterofWords]

Heheheehhe poop a giant poop,,,, I just went out and checked Charlotte's hidden treasures and I thought she laid another really ugly egg,,, except it was bigger than her eggs and hard as a rock and funky!