Should I let my hen be broody?

[FC16]

I had a frizzle hen that sat and hatched eggs just fine (I am not a fan of frizzles, she came from an egg I hatched for someone else and I ended up with her). She was a good and committed sitter, but a pretty useless mother. She was not aggressive but she was forgetful, not very attentive, and left her chicks when they were only 3 weeks old. I rehomed her.

I'm not saying she was like this because of being a frizzle, all hens are their own individual selves. I'm just saying that frizzles don't seem to have any inherent issues with the brooding process.

I am not the biggest fan of frizzles either, I only ended up with mine as I had a lonely a chick and the only option for a mate was a frizzle, she lays very small eggs too which isn’t great.

 

[FC16]

She’s now off the nest, and out foraging. Is she not broody anymore? I’m hoping she isn’t broody now, as she quite clearly wouldn’t be very good at it. I took a picture of what she was sitting on, safe to say she was covering quite a lot more than I thought she was for a little bantam

 

[Mvan42]

She’s now off the nest, and out foraging. Is she not broody anymore? I’m hoping she isn’t broody now, as she quite clearly wouldn’t be very good at it. I took a picture of what she was sitting on, safe to say she was covering quite a lot more than I thought she was for a little bantam
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Where is she at night? On the roost or in the nest? If she is getting on the roost she isn't broody...

 

[Mvan42]

Also, she may just be taking her good old time when laying her egg, I have seen them take hours and think we'll maybe she is broody but nope just taking her time with laying.

 

[FC16]

Where is she at night? On the roost or in the nest? If she is getting on the roost she isn't broody...

Last night she slept on the nest, when she usually sleeps on the roost with the others. But right now she’s still out so I’m guessing she’s snapped out of it

 

[Mvan42]

Last night she slept on the nest, when she usually sleeps on the roost with the others. But right now she’s still out so I’m guessing she’s snapped out of it

They will and can leave the nest for a while to go poo and eat. Keep an eye on her. Mark the eggs so you can take the fresh ones from her so she doesn't end up with to many or sometimes staggering hatches..

 

[Mvan42]

If you want her to brood great. If not try not letting the eggs in there that sometimes is the simplest way to break a broody unless they are hard headed...

 

[K0k0shka]

How’s her voice? If she was committed, she’d have the typical broody voice.

 

[FC16]

How’s her voice? If she was committed, she’d have the typical broody voice.

Since she left today she has not been back in, so guessing she isn’t broody any more. Helpful for me as I won’t be breaking her myself, when she was ‘broody’ or whatever she was doing, she was sort of repeatedly clucking and growling - sounded a bit like a dinosaur (I’ve never had a broody before so I’m not too sure what a typical broody voice is)

 

[K0k0shka]

Since she left today she has not been back in, so guessing she isn’t broody any more. Helpful for me as I won’t be breaking her myself, when she was ‘broody’ or whatever she was doing, she was sort of repeatedly clucking and growling - sounded a bit like a dinosaur (I’ve never had a broody before so I’m not too sure what a typical broody voice is)

Sounds like she got over it then. The broody voice is her "conversational voice" having changed as a result of broodiness. Where normally the conversational voice has longer sounds, the broody voice sounds more chopped up, like individual clucks as opposed to a sustained sound. It really stands out, especially when compared to the non-broody chickens in the way they talk to you.