Meet Lily, who we think just went broody!!

[Quail_Antwerp]

This is one of my Buff Orp girls, Lily. She laid her first egg earlier this week, and we collected it even tho she chattered at us. Today, she laid her second egg, clamped herself down on the nest, and has refused to budge! She has been sitting like this for about 30 minutes now. She screams and flares up at us just for going in the hen house.

We tried moving her to the space next to where she laid her egg, and she immediately tried to roll the egg under her! So I told my husband (after she bit us twice trying to collect the egg) to let her keep it.

So we have created a "nesting" pen for her, and I am thinking I read that you should move a broody hen at night? Is that correct? I have had chickens before, but never had one actually go broody for me! This is my very first experience with a broody and I must confess, I am extremely excited and I am prepared to do whatever it takes to give this girl a successful, happy hatch!

I am open to any and all advice!!

Funny thing, my BO Roo, Pocket, came in the hen house, and I swear they had a conversation because 2 seconds later he was out in the run crowing his fool head off!!

 

[keljonma]

Watch Lily today and tomorrow. Some of our hens actually sit in a nest for up to an hour after laying their daily egg. So while that is a good sign (if you want a broody), it isn't enough of a sign that she truly is broody.

If she is truly broody, she will not leave the nest except for once (maybe twice) a day to eat, drink, and maybe dust bathe.

You will want to move her to a separate area, so no other hens lay eggs in the nest and you have better quality control and less egg breakage. Also a broody will fight other hens if they get near her eggs and later her chicks. So separate is better, in my opinion.

And then there will be the broody poo, which is THE give away tip that she is broody. Gas mask optional...

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Well, she left the nest. I hope she is going broody, I mean, I know the season is off, but I would love to have a broody!

 

[keljonma]

Just keep an eye on how long she is OFF the nest. A broody will leave it once a day, maybe twice a day in the beginning. And she will fluff herself all up and look like a sumo wrestler and deeply bawk-bawk-bawk and possibly scream at the other hens if they come near her. Also the other hens will try to pick on her.

Our Jersey Black Giant goes broody about every 6 months... sometimes in the middle of winter.