Is This Broody Behavior??

[rebbetzin]

Ok, one of my Buff Orpingtons, she is about 7 months old, laying nicely, then the past few days she keeps Puffing out her feathers, staying in the nestbox for the longest time, Having a fit if anyone comes near her when she is in the nest box, I had to use a piece PVC pipe to get her to move so I could gather the eggs and she was not happy!! I made her get out of the coop and she made a horrible racket and was not at all happy!!

So.. is this the first stage of broodiness???

 

[adriennehearts]

yup for sure she is!!
congrats!!

 

[DouglasPeeps]

WooHoo! Sounds like a broody hen to me! Congrats!!!

 

[rebbetzin]

Hmmm, I don't know how good that is being we do not have a rooster. So.. now what? Will she just continue to be upset with me when I take the eggs? My husband told me at some point they would figure out I am taking their babies, and not be happy with me!! Of course they don't know the eggs are not going to be chicks, I suppose.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

You could let her get good & broody and then give her some fertile eggs to incubate.

Or you could break her broody mood. Some hens will change their mind if you keep sending them off the nest & out into the yard. Others need a 3-5 day stay in a Broody Buster cage, a wire-bottomed cage like a rabbit cage set up on something so air flows up underneath her.

 

[adriennehearts]

hmm to stop it you should put treats in her face and make her get up.