Should I let my hen be broody?

[rosemarythyme]

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)

Best summation is a ticking time bomb sound. Broodies don't do it all the time, but once you hear it, you'll recognize it as an unusual sound.

 

[realtorterri]

Strange situation… I have a 24 week old bantam frizzle hen who has only just started laying around a week ago, and she appears to have gone broody.
She’s been on the nest all morning, when I put my hand in to see what she’s sitting on she growled at me (I’ve never seen her do this before), I gave her an egg and she tucked it underneath her.
I wouldn’t mind letting her brood some eggs personally, however I doubt she’d be very good at it.
How many eggs would she be able to fit under her? I’ve posted a picture of her, she’s quite small.
As far as I know she has 3 of her tiny eggs underneath her which I’ve also attached a picture of, and she has two regular brown eggs under her as well. Would she be able to cover these?
She’s not very high in the pecking order of the flock, so should she stay broody over the next couple of days I’d probably get her her own little coop to brood them in.
Probably won’t hatch many if any at all, but what do you guys think?

Our silkies are some of our best mamas. They‘ve hatched several eggs and raised their chicks. Sounds like she’s just doing what chickens do.

 

[Judy Todd]

Strange situation… I have a 24 week old bantam frizzle hen who has only just started laying around a week ago, and she appears to have gone broody.
She’s been on the nest all morning, when I put my hand in to see what she’s sitting on she growled at me (I’ve never seen her do this before), I gave her an egg and she tucked it underneath her.
I wouldn’t mind letting her brood some eggs personally, however I doubt she’d be very good at it.
How many eggs would she be able to fit under her? I’ve posted a picture of her, she’s quite small.
As far as I know she has 3 of her tiny eggs underneath her which I’ve also attached a picture of, and she has two regular brown eggs under her as well. Would she be able to cover these?
She’s not very high in the pecking order of the flock, so should she stay broody over the next couple of days I’d probably get her her own little coop to brood them in.
Probably won’t hatch many if any at all, but what do you guys think?

Don't doubt your little friz. My bantam friz had been the best broody in my flock. She raised one day old chicks from feed store for many springs. Died last year at 8 years old. Now have a bantom friz who is also the best broody, she just got done raising 4 RIR. for me. I also have a Mille Fl D who is raising 3 Blue Comets. at this time. Bantoms seem to be great broodys, give her a separate pen with fake eggs until you are sure and then slip your fertil eggs under her. I do not have any roosters so always go the route of day old chicks from feed stores.

 

[Chookiemom]

Any laying bird may growl when you reach under her in the nest...
....and also will tuck an egg under.

Here are my go to signs that a bird is broody:
Is she on nest most the day and all night?
When you pull her out of nest and put her on the ground, does she flatten right back out into a fluffy screeching pancake?
Does she walk around making a low cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck(ticking bomb) sound on her way back to the nest?

If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.

​

Fluffy screeching pancake

 

[SmiYa0126]

Any laying bird may growl when you reach under her in the nest...
....and also will tuck an egg under.

Here are my go to signs that a bird is broody:
Is she on nest most the day and all night?
When you pull her out of nest and put her on the ground, does she flatten right back out into a fluffy screeching pancake?
Does she walk around making a low cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck(ticking bomb) sound on her way back to the nest?

If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.

​

Fluffy screeching pancake, haha love this description!