Is this "broody"?

[pacanis]

Update.
She keeps getting up there and I keep pushing her down off. Funny thing is, she isn't laying on any eggs. She nests in the same nestbox and the other four hens lay their eggs in the other nestbox, but there are never any eggs under the broody hen.
Egg production is down, too. I have only been getting three eggs a day instead of the usual 4-5.
She will walk around a bit, so I assume she is eating and drinking, too, but after a while she disappears and it's right back into the same empty nestbox.

Here's a pic of her with the others. You can see how puffed out she is compared to the other hens.

 

[Wynette]

Gee, I know nothing about it, but it looks like her vent is quite swollen in that last picture! It is possible she's got an obstruction, or may be eggbound? Hopefully, someone who knows much more than I do will pop in & help make an assessment for you, but I think you need to check her egg-laying machinery - seems like something might be wrong....GOOD LUCK!!!

 

[pacanis]

I couldn't tell you if she's swollen back there or not, I never really looked before she went broody, so have nothing to compare it to. Other than she walks around all puffed out. And her butt has been bare since winter, so that amplifies the way it looks.

I updated because I wanted to mention that she is doing her setting on an empty nest in case anyone thought maybe she was egg bound rather than broody......
Who knows, maybe she's been in that nestbox trying to lay an egg all this time.

 

[coopist]

Quote:
That's a great video, Rooster-Red. Nice for the newbies, and entertaining for all!

 

[pacanis]

So how long is this broodiness going to last? Does it vary greatly?
I'm getting tired of kicking her off of her nest. And like I mentioned earlier, it's throwing the other girls off their egg laying habits. Maybe one of the other hens only uses that nestbox and it's always occupied now. At least she isn't pooping in it though. She poops after I toss her off and she walks around a little.

Thanks

 

[islandmama]

Congrats on your broody. We have 2 Buffs in our small flock and had our first broody several weeks ago. She would not leave the box. She was not laying but we checked her everyday by lifting her up and removed any eggs that had been laid there while she was out eating. Every 2 days or so we took her off and tossed her into the run. She would take a quick dust bath, have a bite to eat and sip of water and it was straight back to the empty box. it lasted for 3-4 weeks. Near the end, her sister went broody as well. But after about a week she accidentally got locked up in the other pen and that has been the end of her broodiness. Neither gal was setting on any eggs and we do not have a roo. They just decided they were going broody. We tried taking them out of the box at night and putting them on the roost but they both just dove down to the floor and ended up trying to nest down there near the nest boxes. Both times I felt sorry for them and put them back in the box. They were both very sweet broody girls, they would puff up at us and growl a little but we petted them and and lifted them up. They weren't too happy about it but they were not mean. good luck with the buffs. They are the sweetest!!

 

[Beekissed]

I have a broody also...just started 2 days ago. Here's the kicker. I would ordinarily be thrilled but I just ordered 26 chicks from MPC!!! Also, she has a small pullet from the last time she sat (she used to be my sister's chicken and the baby came with her) and the pullet wants to sit with her....or rather, ON her! Is this a usual occurence? I mean this pullet is more than half her mom's size and she still is such a baby! Every time her mom hits the nest, she is right in there with her. Is this okay? If I let this hen set will the teenager break the eggs accidently, you think? I have a mind to let her set, although I'm not really wanting more chicks right now. I might just let her set 4 eggs, I don't know.

 

[pacanis]

Congratulations?!

If she had fertilized eggs to hatch rather than setting on an empty nest I guess I'd be happier

And since egg production appears to be an egg or two off, with no eggs to be found in "her" nestbox, I can only assume she has stopped laying during this broody period.
I guess I'll just ride it out and see what happens..... At least she is OK with me chucking her off the nest all the time. She'll even let me pet her, and this one has not been handled before. So yeah, you gotta say the BO's are sweet birds

 

[pacanis]

Update

She is no longer broody

Yesterday I noticed her out with the other girls and last night she was on her roost at dark. So yes, about 2-3 weeks before she snapped out of it. I'm glad. I was getting tired of tossing her out of the nestbox everyday. I started feeling sorry for her....