Is she broody?

[ChloBug]

We have a very sweet Japanese bantam who has been in the nesting box for at least 4 or 5 hours. She is about 5 months old and has been laying an egg everyday for about a month now. I went out to check on her and found that she layed her egg already today. Every time I pick her up or move her she bolts straight back to the nest. Her wattle is droopy and a little pale, I'm assuming that's due to the fact that she hasn't had much water and its very warm here still (luckily it cools down at night). Is it possible for her to be broody? What should I do if she is? What is going on if she isn't?

side note: I tried to check if she is egg bound, but her butt didn't feel any different than our other chicken's. That being said, these are our first chickens and I'm not completely sure how to check if she is egg bound or not (though since she already layed an egg today, I'm assuming she isn't.)

Help is appreciated! Thanks in advance!

 

[ChloBug]

sure sounds broody, if you have a rooster and want to hatch , I would just let her build up her nest with what she is gonna try and hatch. if you eggs aren't fertile due to no rooster, then wear gloves and long sleeves and take the eggs away, you may have to use a broody buster though, it's up to you. If she laid an egg today she is not egg bound,. Also note, sometimes they get it on the first try sometimes they don't. Another option if she is spending most of her time on there and you don't have fertile eggs is trying to find someone locally that you could get a few to put under her and let her sit. I give eggs or chicks to neighbors all the time if they have a broody and no fertile eggs but want to let them be momma . But only go with what your set up can handle if you decide to let ehr be a momma.

Thank you so much! As of now she doesn't seem aggressive, but we will see in the next few days I knew most likely she was going broody but it seemed so soon and I wanted to make sure! We do not have a rooster, and we live in a neighborhood so I don't think anybody else around us has eggs to hatch. I appreciate the help!

 

[ChloBug]

I am a first time chicken owner and I will say she sounds a bit broody from what I understand. I understand broodiness as trying to hatch eggs whether they are fertile or not by laying on them for long periods of time to keep them warm as well as guarding her eggs by pecking you or being noisy to keep you from taking eggs.

Keep collecting eggs as leaving them in there isn't doing her a favor if they are not going to hatch (say if you do not have a rooster or they are not fertile). Perhaps now isn't the best time for chicks (not enough room).

Some people put in golf balls or fake eggs so they leave something there while they take the eggs, but this probably will not stop a broody hen.

I have heard of others putting their hen in a cage with a wire bottom in a well lit area with food and water to break broodiness.

Egg bound is where the egg is stuck inside their body/in the oviduct. Some people feel a bulge underneath the bird. I have read that symptoms of egg bound birds are that they are not laying eggs, waddling like a penguin, having a pale comb/wattle, straining, going in and out of the nesting box frequently to try to lay an egg, diarrhea, full crop, bulge or hard spot underneath, and sometimea no passing of fecal matter because intetstines are blocked.

If you suspect your chicken is egg bound, act quickly! Set them in a tub of warm water with epsom salts and let them soak while the water is warm. I have heard many egg bound chickens will stay still in the water because it feela better, but I have no first hand experience.

Some people make sure to give them a calcium supplement (one lady would get the calcium carbonate tablets at Walmart and crush them up to feed to her egg bound chicken). Always keep oyster shell or pulverized egg shells available for your chickens to have adequate calcium.

Check out these useful articles:

Egg Binding:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/egg-binding-symptoms-treatment-and-prevention.66978/

Broody Hens:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/broody-hens.48666/

This is great information. I kinda had an idea what both were, but not completely. I have yet to go check on her this morning, but I think she is just broody

 

[Aquatic_blue]

I am a first time chicken owner and I will say she sounds a bit broody from what I understand. I understand broodiness as trying to hatch eggs whether they are fertile or not by laying on them for long periods of time to keep them warm as well as guarding her eggs by pecking you or being noisy to keep you from taking eggs.

Keep collecting eggs as leaving them in there isn't doing her a favor if they are not going to hatch (say if you do not have a rooster or they are not fertile). Perhaps now isn't the best time for chicks (not enough room).

Some people put in golf balls or fake eggs so they leave something there while they take the eggs, but this probably will not stop a broody hen.

I have heard of others putting their hen in a cage with a wire bottom in a well lit area with food and water to break broodiness.

Egg bound is where the egg is stuck inside their body/in the oviduct. Some people feel a bulge underneath the bird. I have read that symptoms of egg bound birds are that they are not laying eggs, waddling like a penguin, having a pale comb/wattle, straining, going in and out of the nesting box frequently to try to lay an egg, diarrhea, full crop, bulge or hard spot underneath, and sometimea no passing of fecal matter because intetstines are blocked.

If you suspect your chicken is egg bound, act quickly! Set them in a tub of warm water with epsom salts and let them soak while the water is warm. I have heard many egg bound chickens will stay still in the water because it feela better, but I have no first hand experience.

Some people make sure to give them a calcium supplement (one lady would get the calcium carbonate tablets at Walmart and crush them up to feed to her egg bound chicken). Always keep oyster shell or pulverized egg shells available for your chickens to have adequate calcium.

Check out these useful articles:

Egg Binding:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/egg-binding-symptoms-treatment-and-prevention.66978/

Broody Hens:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/broody-hens.48666/

 

[slordaz]

sure sounds broody, if you have a rooster and want to hatch , I would just let her build up her nest with what she is gonna try and hatch. if you eggs aren't fertile due to no rooster, then wear gloves and long sleeves and take the eggs away, you may have to use a broody buster though, it's up to you. If she laid an egg today she is not egg bound,. Also note, sometimes they get it on the first try sometimes they don't. Another option if she is spending most of her time on there and you don't have fertile eggs is trying to find someone locally that you could get a few to put under her and let her sit. I give eggs or chicks to neighbors all the time if they have a broody and no fertile eggs but want to let them be momma . But only go with what your set up can handle if you decide to let ehr be a momma.

 

[Ridgerunner]

My test if a hen is broody is that she spends two consecutive nights on the nest instead of sleeping in her normal spot. There are of different signs a hen might be broody or might be going broody, but I've had hens show all of them but not be worthy of being given hatching eggs. It sounds like she is broody, but try the two-consecutive-nights test.

What are you going to do with any male chicks you hatch? You need a plan if you hatch.

If you do want to hatch eggs, get back with us so we can discuss options. If you don't want her to hatch the best way to break a hen that I've found is to put her in a wire bottom cage like a wire dog crate and raise that off the ground. Either hang it or put it up on blocks. Give her food and water but do not give her anything that looks like a nest. You want her underside to cool off. Most of mine break after three full days but if it doesn't work try it again.

 

[slordaz]

Thank you so much! As of now she doesn't seem aggressive, but we will see in the next few days I knew most likely she was going broody but it seemed so soon and I wanted to make sure! We do not have a rooster, and we live in a neighborhood so I don't think anybody else around us has eggs to hatch. I appreciate the help!

well if you have facebook, check for local or area chciken groups if she is broody, someone may have a few eggs you can get, or there is a section on here where you can buy shipped eggs. if you want to break her gather the eggs asap and then block access to the nesting box, you can put a wire kennel on bricks or something so it isn't sitting on the ground, this is for air circulation to help cool her off. Some people have also used Ice to help cool a hen down that's thinking of going broody, you gotta decide what you think will help the best