Is she broody?

[Mamahen525]

My EE has been walking around with her feathers puffed up and like growling as she walks around the yard. Twice in the last 24 hours I've caught her sitting on the ceramic egg in the nesting box, all puffed up. She's only been laying for a month or so, could she be broody? I've checked for parasites, her vent is clear, she's laid 2 eggs in the last 3 days. She's starting a hen riot in the coop because she won't get out of the box

 

[fluffycrow]

She appears to be pre-broody, and with the time schedule you've given us, will likely commit pretty soon

 

[Mamahen525]

She appears to be pre-broody, and with the time schedule you've given us, will likely commit pretty soon

Ugh what do I do? We cannot hatch any eggs this year. My husband agreed to 5 chickens in January when we started...we have 23 he'll off me over chicks right now

 

[fluffycrow]

Ugh what do I do? We cannot hatch any eggs this year. My husband agreed to 5 chickens in January when we started...we have 23 he'll off me over chicks right now

Article 'foldable wire dog crates - a good tool for every chickeneer' https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...rates-a-good-tool-for-every-chickeneer.72619/

 

[Mamahen525]

Article 'foldable wire dog crates - a good tool for every chickeneer' https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...rates-a-good-tool-for-every-chickeneer.72619/

Is broody contagious? Just found my other EE in the same box as one of my BCM. The EE laid her egg and the BCM tried to put it under herself

 

[fluffycrow]

Is broody contagious? Just found my other EE in the same box as one of my BCM. The EE laid her egg and the BCM tried to put it under herself

As a matter of fact, it is. Don't take her putting the egg under her as a sign of going broody though. Most if not all of my hens do this, and they haven't gone broody once in their life

 

[Mamahen525]

As a matter of fact, it is. Don't take her putting the egg under her as a sign of going broody though. Most if not all of my hens do this, and they haven't gone broody once in their life

Thank goodness. Ava acting a fool is enough for me

 

[aart]

They may be broody...or it just be new layers working thing out.
A non broody might also tuck and egg under her.
Some layers lounge in the nests for quite awhile before and/or after avtually laying.

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.
This is how I manage it:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/broody-breaking-ala-aart.77915/