Signs a hen is ABOUT to go broody?

[Ridgerunner]

You can also let them break on own as long as they are fine.
https://timbercreekfarmer.com/10-signs-you-have-a-broody-hen/

Interesting link. I've seen practically all those with hens that were not close to being broody. Maybe that should be titled signs you might possibly have a broody. And they missed my main sign. If the hen sleeps on the nest for two consecutive nights instead of in her regular roosting spot she is broody enough to deserve eggs.

I've seen hens do things like walk around fluffed up and clucking when off the nest, defend their nest when they are only laying an egg, even spend one night on the nest and never go broody or flip over to full broody. So if they are doing some of the things that a broody regularly does they might be thinking about it, but most of the time there is no warning. They just flip from not broody to full-on broody.

Dona, just because a hen goes broody does not mean you have to give her eggs or chicks. When I have a broody when I don't want more chicks I use the wire bottomed cage method to break her from going broody. That is in your control, not the hen's.

You said she is the dominant hen, I don't know if you have a fully mature rooster. Sometimes a dominant rooster will help take care of chicks since they are part of his flock. I don't know why she behaved that way but I'd think it much more likely she was making sure all of her flock was OK instead of potential broody behavior.

 

[aart]

It can be hard to tell...and not much you can do until she commits.
But I learned after having a serial broody this summer, that low clucking is the first sign.....she would start that a few days before hunkering down on a nest.

 

[Dona Worry]

Dona, just because a hen goes broody does not mean you have to give her eggs or chicks. When I have a broody when I don't want more chicks I use the wire bottomed cage method to break her from going broody. That is in your control, not the hen's.

Yeah, I know! I just would rather not deal with the hassle of breaking a broody if there is a way to head it off at the pass, so to speak.

I don't know why she behaved that way but I'd think it much more likely she was making sure all of her flock was OK instead of potential broody behavior.

I wonder if it was like how if a kid yells "MOM!" in the store all of the moms in the store spin around, even if they don't even have their kids with them. . .

 

[DeerChicken14]

I need someone's advice too. I have a buff orpington hen. Right now when I get around her or if another chicken comes close to her she will puff up her feathers, make a broody hen/mother hen clucking sound, and trot away. She hasn't gone broody yet. She has been doing this for a week and a half now and she roosts outside with another chicken. When she is in the nesting box, everytime I go in there or touch her she will growl LOUDLY at me and puff her feathers. She will also quickly shove eggs under her and she will stay in the box for a couple of hours now. BUT the thing is that she has several chest feathers still. Does anybody believe she is threatening to go broody too?

 

[m1marin]

A sure sign that our Dellaware is about to go broody is when she starts making that low clucking sound, and when she keeps her tail feathers spread out. That, and she just flat out starts acting crazy. Usually within a day or two of seeing this she'll be glued to the nest.

 

[DeerChicken14]

A sure sign that our Dellaware is about to go broody is when she starts making that low clucking sound, and when she keeps her tail feathers spread out. That, and she just flat out starts acting crazy. Usually within a day or two of seeing this she'll be glued to the nest.

Ok. But my hen has been doing this for almost two weeks lol

 

[DeerChicken14]

A sure sign that our Dellaware is about to go broody is when she starts making that low clucking sound, and when she keeps her tail feathers spread out. That, and she just flat out starts acting crazy. Usually within a day or two of seeing this she'll be glued to the nest.

She does the same thing. She makes a mother hen clucking sound, fluffs her tail feathers, but the thing is that she still has several chest feathers. That's my concern

 

[aart]

She does the same thing. She makes a mother hen clucking sound, fluffs her tail feathers, but the thing is that she still has several chest feathers. That's my concern

She may be going broody or not, the number of chest feathers has little to do with it.

When she's.... 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.

 

[m1marin]

It can be hard to tell...and not much you can do until she commits.
But I learned after having a serial broody this summer, that low clucking is the first sign.....she would start that a few days before hunkering down on a nest.

This ^^^^

When you pull her out of nest and put her on the ground, does she flatten right back out into a fluffy screeching pancake?

and this ^^^^

 

[DeerChicken14]

She may be going broody or not, the number of chest feathers has little to do with it.

When she's.... 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.

1. No, but she stays in the box for a couple of hours.
2. I haven't tried that yet. But when she gets kicked out of the box by another hen she sits on the edge of the box waiting to go back in the box
3. Yes, when I get near her or if another chicken comes near her
And when she is in the box she will growl or scream loudly at me and she will quickly shove eggs under her and she will peck sometimes if I agitate her a little bit. lol