Is this broody or can there be a "sorta/almost/thinking about being broody" state?

[woodmouse]

One of my barred rocks (who aren't known to go broody usually, but she is not hatchery stock so who knows what that could mean) is always sitting in the next box each morning on hers and a few of the other hens' eggs. She screams at me as I approach, but after I gently lift her off and remove the eggs, within five minutes she's back with the flock and eating and drinking like nothing ever happened. For the rest of the day, she doesn't return to the empty next box. And she continues to lay eggs. Rinse, repeat each morning.

So is this broody or not really? From everything I've read, it seems like a true broody would return to the nest even if it was empty. Or is that not the case? Could this be the real deal because she keeps sitting on the eggs each morning?

We don't have a rooster, but I'd be willing to get some fertile eggs if she was really broody. I'm just not sure if she is or not. Oh and she is young, 22 weeks and only laying for about 4 weeks now. Thoughts?

 

[Teila]

Hi

I have an 18 month old Bantam Langshan who does a similar thing and has never actually gone full broody.

Whenever she lays an eggs, she stays in the nest box with it, warns off all that come near (including me) and carries on like a true 'broodzilla'. 15-30 minutes later she has had enough of that and is back in the run or the garden (if everyone else is free ranging).

She does it with every egg she lays. Back when she was younger I used to say to hubby "Ooh, Dusty could be going broody"; but after a couple of months, I worked out that that is just what she does

I have only had one true broody to date who has had two successful hatches and if you move her off her eggs she is back within 3-4 minutes!

I am far from an expert but I would try leaving her a couple of 'dud' eggs and see if she goes back to them before risking buying fertile eggs; unless you have an incubator on hand

 

[Stiggy]

Sounds like she is just having a rest after laying the egg. If she is laying then she isn't broody

 

[woodmouse]

Thanks, Stiggy & Teila, that's what I was thinking she might be doing, glad to know sometimes hens just like to hang out for a bit after laying but it doesn't mean anything.

Good idea to test her with some dud eggs first!