Is this a broody hen behavior?

[karlamaria]

I have a buff O and she is always sitting on someones eggs. I collect eggs 3 times a day, and for only 5 chickens that means its pretty easy to gather LOL. But every time I check I have one buff sitting on them, be it the austrolorps eggs or hers LOL. ( we can tell egg color and who lays every time) any ways yesterday the buff was sitting on an egg, she was all fluffed up and when I went to remove it she was non to happy. she soon after jumped from the nest box and for the next hour ran around the yard with her arms out squawking.then into the nest box she went, then back out again and squawking again. she was constantly puffed out. She ate well, ate all the goodies I gave her, but man when she pooped, the pile was huge! She also has not laid an egg for a few days. My chickens are all so healthy, I checked for any mites etc, nope she is totally clean. eating very well and so I can only assume she was going broody? so if I keep taking eggs will she continue this behavior, or is this just normal behavior ? we have no roosters so sitting on eggs is futile LOL.

 

[halo]

This is exactly broody behavior. Especially the puffing up and squawking. She won't lay an egg while she is this way.

Many people have many ways of breaking this behavior. Best way that I found was to put them in a totally different environment, another pen if you have one. Seems to get them confused and they will stop with the broodyness, tho they may not lay again for a while.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Yep; definitely broody behavior. You can either break her broodiness or find some fertile eggs for her to hatch or get a couple day old chicks and slip them under her at night.

 

[karlamaria]

Ok, say I slip some eggs under her, will they survive the harsh Montana winter? I could get her a new coop I suppose, small and made for just her and her chicks, but it will be bitter cold soon, as it is it's down to single digest during the night now. What do you think, can I do it or will I be doing the wrong thing?