On and off broody?

[HappyDuckie]

I have a mixed breed hen, that’s around 9/10 months old now. For the past month, she’ll randomly start acting broody-stating in the egg box for hours at a time, growling at anyone who bothers her, and looking broody as well. Then she’ll get out a few hours later.
But, a few days ago she slept in the egg box after almost the full day of being in there and acting broody. Which I thought meant she was for sure broody. Then she got up from the box the following afternoon, and never returned to her best. Today she has been in the egg box all day, acting quite broody (I think so, at least) and has plucked feathers from off her underside, which I’ve read that broodies will do. Now, what I’m getting at is I have no clue if she is broody or not! She is definitely not being bullied, and is close to the top of the pecking order. Should I separate her, maybe she’s getting stressed?
Thanks in advance!

 

[Gallinarium]

I have a mixed breed hen, that’s around 9/10 months old now. For the past month, she’ll randomly start acting broody-stating in the egg box for hours at a time, growling at anyone who bothers her, and looking broody as well. Then she’ll get out a few hours later.
But, a few days ago she slept in the egg box after almost the full day of being in there and acting broody. Which I thought meant she was for sure broody. Then she got up from the box the following afternoon, and never returned to her best. Today she has been in the egg box all day, acting quite broody (I think so, at least) and has plucked feathers from off her underside, which I’ve read that broodies will do. Now, what I’m getting at is I have no clue if she is broody or not! She is definitely not being bullied, and is close to the top of the pecking order. Should I separate her, maybe she’s getting stressed?
Thanks in advance!

She definitely sounds broody.
Hens usually get off the nest once or twice a day to eat, drink, and defecate. The less experienced ones often forget about their duties and take a long time to get back on.
She may stop on her own, otherwise I would either give her eggs or break her broodiness.

 

[HappyDuckie]

She definitely sounds broody.
Hens usually get off the nest once or twice a day to eat, drink, and defecate. The less experienced ones often forget about their duties and take a long time to get back on.
She may stop on her own, otherwise I would either give her eggs or break her broodiness.

She doesn’t come back on. She will seem to go broody again, a few days/weeks later.
I really want her to be broody, so I can have chicks.

 

[HappyDuckie]

She is sleeping in the egg box, for the second night in a row. Should I give her eggs if she is still sitting tomorrow?

 

[aart]

She is sleeping in the egg box, for the second night in a row. Should I give her eggs if she is still sitting tomorrow?

She sounds undecided.
Give her a half dozen fake eggs, see if she sticks for 3 days and nights.
Have you had a broody before?
Lots of different ways to manage it.

 

[HappyDuckie]

She sounds undecided.
Give her a half dozen fake eggs, see if she sticks for 3 days and nights.
Have you had a broody before?
Lots of different ways to manage it.

No, I've never had a broody. And I don't have any fake eggs, she's already sitting on real ones.

 

[aart]

No, I've never had a broody. And I don't have any fake eggs, she's already sitting on real ones.

If you decide to let her hatch out some fertile eggs, this is a great thread for reference and to ask questions.

It's a long one but just start reading the first few pages, then browse thru some more at random. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/broody-hen-thread.496101/

 

[Yardmom]

Make sure all the eggs start the same day. Give her fresh marked eggs to make sure. Take out added eggs daily or move her to a cage where others can not lay.

 

[myluckychucks]

I have a mixed breed hen, that’s around 9/10 months old now. For the past month, she’ll randomly start acting broody-stating in the egg box for hours at a time, growling at anyone who bothers her, and looking broody as well. Then she’ll get out a few hours later.
But, a few days ago she slept in the egg box after almost the full day of being in there and acting broody. Which I thought meant she was for sure broody. Then she got up from the box the following afternoon, and never returned to her best. Today she has been in the egg box all day, acting quite broody (I think so, at least) and has plucked feathers from off her underside, which I’ve read that broodies will do. Now, what I’m getting at is I have no clue if she is broody or not! She is definitely not being bullied, and is close to the top of the pecking order. Should I separate her, maybe she’s getting stressed?
Thanks in advance!

Do you leave some eggs in the nest box? if I want to hatch chicks at a certain time I leave 4 or 5 marked eggs in the box and sooner than later one of my silkies is sitting on them.

 

[HappyDuckie]

Do you leave some eggs in the nest box? if I want to hatch chicks at a certain time I leave 4 or 5 marked eggs in the box and sooner than later one of my silkies is sitting on them.

I didn't, but she eventually started sitting on the eggs. She has 4 developing eggies, due to hatch on the 11th!