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[Xtina]

I have a question about behavior and I thought I knew the answer but I now I think I was wrong. The question is about the word "broody." Just before my Orpington, Kung Pao, started laying, I reached out to catch her to show a neighbor with chickens. Normally she would run away, but this time, she squatted down and ... well, I think she tried to seduce me. I freaked out and asked the neighbor what that was and she said that Kung Pao was "going broody" and that I should get ready to find eggs in the coop. Indeed, I found eggs a few days later. She has done this ever since then, anytime I reach for her.

Today, my RIR did the same thing and I got excited, knowing I'm probably about to start getting eggs from her. So my question is, what is this "seduction" called? I read the definition for broody, which means that she's sitting on eggs, not just ready to start having them. Or am I wrong? Is it an all-encompassing thing? Because I don't think Kung Pao ever actually sits on her eggs. She lays 'em and gets going on eating grass and compost.

 

[speckledhen]

Its called "squatting", not broody. Just means she is not far from laying and recognizes your superiority-it's submission to a mate, really.
Broody is a hormonal "switch" that clicks on with some birds and they want to hatch their eggs. Many hatchery birds have it bred out of them. Most RIRs from hatcheries never go broody and it's the same with many high-production type breeds.

 

[Guitartists]

It's called squatting. It means that they view you as head roo and are offering to mate

 

[beakkeeper]

Quote:

but

 

[ChandlersChickens]

LOL! My EE just started doing this to me last week. I told her "I am not a Rooster, you freak"

Oh yeah and she did lay her first egg yesterday.

 

[Xtina]

Excellent! Thanks for so many answers so fast! Ok, so, what should I know about brooding? My signature lists my breeds. My Orp is the only one laying so far and she's giving me one every day except for two days when she was ticked about the weather. Is she going to stop laying so frequently someday if she goes broody?

 

[speckledhen]

When a hen goes broody, she quits laying entirely. It takes 3 weeks to hatch chicks then she may resume in two weeks or two months, depending on the individual. Your hen may never go broody. One of my three Buff Orps has done it twice, but the others, not at all. Of close to 50 hens and pullets, so far, I've had only three broodies, though some are probably a bit young yet.

 

[Guitartists]

When they go broody they lay around 10 eggs and then stop to sit on them until they hatch. Sometimes they sit on someone else's eggs and sometimes they sit on nothing at all. But yes, they will not lay while broody. Some will never go broody. Some breeds, like Silkies, are most likely to go broody while some breeds have been bred for egg production and are very unlikely to go broody... though some do anyways.

 

[Xtina]

Nice. Good to know. Thanks!