Nest question- Is my BLACK AUSTROPORP broody?

[La_TomboyGirl]

I have a 2 year old black Aust. (Miss Fricassee) & NONE of my girls has ever been broody, but she seems to be showing a few signs. I have a large, black wooden egg in the nest box & I've found her in there several times just sitting on it & any other eggs that happen to be in there, all fluffed up. She's very sweet & doesn't "growl" @ me, but will make a worried noise like, "Hey what're you doing?" if I reach in there. She only lays an egg maybe 2-3 times a week these days. I take the eggs out almost every day (occasionally we might skip a day, but not often, & not more than 1 day), & have seen her sit on just the wooden one, & it'll be really warm. Today there's a bunch of her feathers in there too. She's the only black one, so I know they're hers. Our rooster is a huge cochin, & I've tried trimming the vent feathers on him & the hens, but don't see the "bullseye" indicating fertility inside any of the eggs from any of the hens. I think the size difference is too much? Looks like an elephant trying to ride a horse. LOL Anyway, I recently put some older chicks outside in the last few weeks that are totally able to be seen & heard by the bigger ones, but w/o access to the big birds. She seems very interested in them, but I haven't allowed her to get near them. So, the questions are:

#1-Do you think she's trying to go broody?

#2-Could the babies being near make a hen want to go broody & raise her own chicks?

#3-Should I get some hatching eggs to try her out? (We are cool with her having some chicks)

#4-Should I just break the Broody mode up? (She doesn't lay too often, so the eggs stopping isn't a big deal)

We are going into our 3rd year having chickens, but have had very small flock w/o any hatching activities, so we need your advise & wisdom, oh great Poultry Gurus!

 

[TurkeyMountainChickens]

She sounds like a broody hen. Next time you see her sitting in the nest box, lift her up and take a look at her belly. If she's gone broody, she will have plucked out her breast feathers for warming eggs.

I don't know if nearby chicks would "make" her broody. Hard to predict a hen!

I wouldn't rule out fertility in your eggs just because you don't see a bulls-eye. I never do, and mine hatch out just fine. If you've got a rooster that seems to be doing his job, then the eggs are probably fertile. You can let her have some to set on, and then candle them after a few days. If you don't see veins developing, you'll know they were not fertile, and can swap them out for some other hatching eggs.

If you DON'T want chicks, you can try to break her up - there are many articles out there. I usually just wait the hen out. Make sure she gets out of the nest box at least once a day for food and water, though.

 

[La_TomboyGirl]

Thanks for the info! I didn't know that the bullseye isn't a certain indicator. Good to know...

I see the roo doing his job a lot, but this particular hen always hauls butt away from him! I'll let her sit on the other girls' eggs. Guess I'll need to make another special box for her....Yay! A new poultry project! Thanks again!

 

[chickenwhisperer]

I have done some reading on BAs, and I remember seeing in a few places(I could not begin to guess where on the net to find) that BAs tend to go broody after 2yrs . . .
Seriously.

Dunno how this info would help, but at least I know its true- I have 4 BA 4weekers, and 5 eggs in bator should hopefully hatch tomoro.

Edit- If you DO want chicks, a broody hen is definately the way to go.
IF she can do it . . .

 

[JROOSTER]

I vote you give her some eggs!!

 

[MareeZoCool]

Hi tomboy, I also have a BA hen that is broody, she's been setting on her clutch of 4 eggs since the 1st of this month. The first two weeks, she wouldn't budge not even to eat! People out here told me I was insane, hand-feeding her twice daily. The third week she took a quick trip outside her run/coop and after a huge poo, then hunting some bugs & greens she rushed right back to her nest. She's not interested in leaving the nest everyday, so I continue with my hand-feeding. I hope to hear some peeping soon. Best of luck with your hen, tomboy!

P.S. THIS IS A NEW EXPERIENCE FOR ME TOO! My advice might not be correct, (this is just what I do.)

 

[Chic Chick]

Remember it doesn't always end up on top when you break an egg so you have to carefully turn it over in order to see if it's a bullseye or doughnut or if it's just a white dot. I prefer to say it looks more like a doughnut when it's fertilized.
First of all a hen will sometimes sit on the nest for a long time before she lays an egg, and sometimes she could sit for 2 hours and jump off the nest without laying at all, and sometimes they will sit on the nest for a long while after they lay an egg. . Most hens will protest when you bother them when they are on the nest before or after they lay but a broody hen will be more vocal and will puff up her feathers and will go back to the nest if you take her off the eggs.
The easiest way to tell if she's broody is to give her a clutch to sit on and then at night move her and the nest to a private pen. If she is truely broody then she will sit, if she's not broody the next morning you will find her off the nest and trying to get out of the pen.
Take the eggs out (at night is best) and candle them at about 7 days and you'll be able to see veining if they are growing.
Roosters can be prejudiced of any different breeds then they are and might not breed with all hens.
Always encourage a broody hen to get off the nest and walk away to get to food and water, otherwise she will poop all over the eggs and possibly ruin the whole clutch. You don't always see them get off the nest to eat, and they don't always pluck out their breast feathers when they're broody.
Leaving eggs overnight in the nests will not encourage hens to go broody, but it could encourage predators to come for a free meal or encourage your own hens to become egg eaters so it's just good practice to gather every day at least once.