Possible broody pullet?

[Isaac 0]

My 7 month old easter egger will stay in the nesting box all day,Today she stayed in there from 7am to 3pm she is very territorial when i enter the coop she basically screams at me.I know broody hens stay in there all day but mine just stays there for half of the day.Just curious

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Some hens do lounge in the nestboxes for hours on end. If she doesn't stay in there around the clock than she's not broody, she's just taking her job seriously.

 

[azygous]

Unless your pullet is experiencing an abnormal surge of hormones, she shouldn't be broody unless she's already been laying regularly for at least four weeks straight.

Another reason for a pullet or hen to want to hang out in a nest box is that they are being tormented by the rest of the flock. To determine if this is the reason in your pullet's case, put her with the flock and observe for a while.

If the flock descends on her, pecking her on head and back, and she tries to tuck her head and squirm out of their reach and they keep following and pecking her, then you will know why she flees to the safety of a nest box.

Now, if your pullet is being tormented, you need to discover why. It may be she's sick or has an injury, both of which can cause the flock to turn on her.

All that said, it is quite possible to have a pullet go broody at just seven months if she began laying at five or six months and has laid around a dozen eggs total between the onset of laying and when she began to go broody.

 

[chickens really]

I have a TERRIBLE BROODY.......She is 7 months.......Has gone Broody twice in three weeks........The number of eggs they have laid has zero to do with Broodiness.....It will happen when it happens.....



Cheers!

 

[Isaac 0]

Unless your pullet is experiencing an abnormal surge of hormones, she shouldn't be broody unless she's already been laying regularly for at least four weeks straight.

Another reason for a pullet or hen to want to hang out in a nest box is that they are being tormented by the rest of the flock. To determine if this is the reason in your pullet's case, put her with the flock and observe for a while.

If the flock descends on her, pecking her on head and back, and she tries to tuck her head and squirm out of their reach and they keep following and pecking her, then you will know why she flees to the safety of a nest box.

Now, if your pullet is being tormented, you need to discover why. It may be she's sick or has an injury, both of which can cause the flock to turn on her.

All that said, it is quite possible to have a pullet go broody at just seven months if she began laying at five or six months and has laid around a dozen eggs total between the onset of laying and when she began to go broody.

She has laid a dozen eggs maybe even more.She is still in the nesting box right now its the latest she has ever stayed in there,And she is not at the bottom of the pecking order she is almost at the top.Just wondering how she gets food she has only gone to get food once today

 

[Isaac 0]

Just read the broody hen thread and they said sometimes they will practice before actually going broody.One day i was wondering why there was tons of feathers in the nesting box well i just read they will pluck all there feathers so the can heat the eggs better.