Pseudo-Broody Young Hen: Is that a thing?

[HoopyFrood]

It's the middle of winter and one of our layers (now about 10 months old) who has been laying normally for a month is starting to act broody - sort of.

She is laying in the nest box for 2-3 hours each day. An actual broody hen would probably spend a lot more time in the nest box each day.

She almost always waits to lay until someone else lays an egg, then she goes and sits on that egg sometimes for an hour or two before she lays her own. But broody hens won't even lay eggs, right?

She seems like she'd stay in there all day if I let her, but as soon as I collect the eggs (which I try to do promptly) she gets up and goes outside and does normal chicken things for the rest of the day. The next morning she'll act like all the other chickens until it's about time to lay, and the cycle repeats.

Obviously she isn't ACTUALLY broody, but this does seem like odd behavior. Is there an onset to broodiness?

This has been going on for about four days. I definitely don't want her to go broody because the winter weather is so harsh right now, she needs all the feed and water she can get. So I'm now making it a point to check her about every 30 minutes to make sure she's not just hanging out on eggs (especially if it's not hers).

Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[sourland]

Some birds have a pre broody phase where they sort of hover in the nest for a period of time before committing. Time will tell if she is going broody or not.

 

[aart]

I have some that hover in the nests when it's colder out....laying or not.

I'd not worry unless she's spending the nights in the nest.

 

[HoopyFrood]

Thanks for the feedback! Very helpful info!

I'll make it a point to keep the eggs collected and just keep an eye on the situation. I'll update the thread when there's a new development.

 

[HoopyFrood]

We made it a point to collect eggs (if they were likely) every 30-60 minutes. I simply wasn't shy about feeling under her any time I checked and she was in the nest box. She'd usually stand right up whether there was an egg under her or not.

If there was (hers or someone else's) I take it. If there wasn't I just let her be. I figured regular "disturbances" like that would make the nest box as less fun place to hang out.

After a couple days of that treatment she has resumed normal "chickening." She now only goes in to lay and doesn't stay there. So hooray for not having a broody bird in the winter!

P.S. I specifically did NOT design my nest boxes with a slanted floor to make them "uncomfortable" in order that the chickens would be less inclined to hang out in them. I was under a time crunch and am not a particularly skilled builder so they got flat bottoms. Perhaps that was a factor in this odd behavior. But no harm, no fowl...

 

[aart]

Good to get hens used to being 'checked' in nests IMO....
....let's them know you won't 'hurt' them, it's just 'all in a days' thing.
If she really is broody that disturbance won't deter her.
I think that slanted nest floors are more for roll out nests rather than 'too uncomfortable to set'?

 

[HoopyFrood]

Good to get hens used to being 'checked' in nests IMO....
....let's them know you won't 'hurt' them, it's just 'all in a days' thing.
If she really is broody that disturbance won't deter her.
I think that slanted nest floors are more for roll out nests rather than 'too uncomfortable to set'?

Good to know, thanks @aart !

I hadn't heard the roll-out idea, but that makes sense. I had read a couple books about coop building before designing my coop that made mention of discouraging nest loitering by putting in a slanted floor (1-in-12 slope or so). I had intended to do so, but just wasn't able to in practice.

And now it seems that the books' advice may have been unnecessary. I'm not surprised as I had noticed many other pieces of information in those books that I disagreed with. Just thought I'd mention it in case others had heard/read something similar.

Another point of departure in my design was making the nest box roofs flat. Conventional wisdom says don't do that or they'll hang out on top of the nest boxes and poop on them. Well that's true - so I just throw a pile of shavings on top and clean it as needed. Gotta clean the coop anyway, right? What's a few more square feet? They very much appreciate the variety of vantage points and increased "floor" space

 

[aart]

I had noticed many other pieces of information in those books that I disagreed with.

Indeed...many books are older and/or scanty on good info and/or rife with 'wives tales' ...and there are more than a few ways to healthily keep chickens.

I like angled nest roofs, or at least a slanted 'hat', no need to clean more than necessary

 

[trufadog]

Good to know, thanks @aart !

I hadn't heard the roll-out idea, but that makes sense. I had read a couple books about coop building before designing my coop that made mention of discouraging nest loitering by putting in a slanted floor (1-in-12 slope or so). I had intended to do so, but just wasn't able to in practice.

And now it seems that the books' advice may have been unnecessary. I'm not surprised as I had noticed many other pieces of information in those books that I disagreed with. Just thought I'd mention it in case others had heard/read something similar.

Another point of departure in my design was making the nest box roofs flat. Conventional wisdom says don't do that or they'll hang out on top of the nest boxes and poop on them. Well that's true - so I just throw a pile of shavings on top and clean it as needed. Gotta clean the coop anyway, right? What's a few more square feet? They very much appreciate the variety of vantage points and increased "floor" space

 

[trufadog]

I put vinyl flooring on top of nesting boxes and then my poop hammock touches the vinyl and catches all the poop there. They sleep above the nesting boxes with the poop hammock to catch the poop.