Need to know if my Ameriaucana is actually broody or not.

[Isaiah Mack]

I would like to know whether or not she is broody or not. She doesn't seem as defensive as I would expect her to be. She does sit on the eggs and keep them warm but there are times where I see that she isn't sitting on them and the're a little cool to the touch. I've seen posts where a chicken was off the eggs for four hours and they still hatched i'm just still worried. I have her in a box to keep mice out that I have noticed recently but I want to make sure that if one of them goes into the nest will she eat it or will I need to let my cat or my rooster in the room where I have the box to let one of them try to get the mouse? Oh I almost forgot to mention, she does poop on the other side of the box and they do seem larger than most chicken poops. I'll get some pictures and a video when she's not on the eggs so I don't disturb what she's doing right now. The hatch date is around April the 13th.

 

[feedman77]

How many eggs in her nest?

Is she staying on day and night?

If she is fully broody she may take up to a couple hours a day to eat, dust bath, drink and poo. Some do all that in 15 min because they are so determined to set.

If she is still laying she may be setting just enough to give the older eggs some heat so they don't over chill and then when she sets full-time almost all will hatch close together.

 

[Isaiah Mack]

There are six eggs in her nest. I don't know if that's too many for an Ameriaucana. She seems to be on them all day when I check on her but i'm not sure about night time (mostly because i'm asleep.) however when I checked on her this morning she was off the eggs. Also I have her enclosed in a separate part of the shed so the other chickens don't bother her and so I only have to put the chicks and the hen on chick starter. Will the new chicks be able to go broody easier than store bought chicks once they grow up?

 

[feedman77]

I can't say for sure on the number of eggs. My EE went broody on about 12 eggs. But the rest of the hens saw her doing all the work so they all laid on her and around her. When checked her she was trying to cover about 35 eggs. Wasn't happy when I took them.

Broody is all up to the hen. I have some that see 2 eggs and want to set. Other could care less about setting.

Breeding for broodiness out of a broody hen may increase it in the chicks. But not sure on that. Don't know how much broodiness is hereditary.