is this normal

[nickyplus4]

I am quite new to keeping hens and im learning alot as i go along
i think one of my hens has gone broody, she is a cuckoo maran and up till now was the greediest and first to food,now she sits in her nest box all the time she rarely comes out even though its very hot. I took her off the nest in the early evening and gave her some corn which she went frantic for and was quite aggressive to the others coming near her she then went straight back to the nest.
she does ruffle herself right up and flat over the nest and when you open the box she sounds of a warning alarm call and she is not friendly.
there are no eggs in the nest and no rooster near by
do i keep taking her off the nest to stop her broodiness and is all this behavior normal.........

 

[lightchick]

Welcome! Sounds like she's broody! A way to break her broodiness is to put her in a wire dog kennel with no nest box and put a roost and food and water in there with her.
Make sure the kennel doesn't touch the ground (put it on some bricks or something).
Leave her in there for 1-3 days and that should do it.

 

[nickyplus4]

thanks the kids were getting frantic thinking she may be ill, I heard somewhere that they may need a full time light,????? does she have to be kept in a full time light or will the shed (dark at night) do

 

[lightchick]

I never heard of the full time light thing.
Here's a link.
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/05/broody-breaker-when-hens-mood-to-hatch.html

 

[nickyplus4]

thank you lightchick that link gave me everything i needed to know, lets just say i have a very stroppy hen in a big dog cage for a while, thanks again for all your help