sitting or laying?

[madeintexas806]

So just a bit ago when I went out to check my chickens I find my BO sitting on a golfball I had put where she lays to keep from pecking the eggs. Anyways I had taken the eggs everyday and put them in a nesting box where I want them to lay and sit but this one hen insisted on still laying in her spot on the stairs. So I went and got the 4 eggs I had in the nesting box and went and put them under her. Sure enough she tried to peck me...So I went on my way and went to the feed room and started throwing the feed like I do normally. What do you know? Hen comes running when she hears the food. At that time while she was eating I went and put them eggs. All is good. She ate about 7 minutes and back she went. I went in there to see her and she actually let me touch her without trying to take my hand off. Once again I go about my business. About 30 minutes later I go back and again she pecks me. My question is....Is she trying to lay an egg or is she broody?

 

[MagpieDucks]

So just a bit ago when I went out to check my chickens I find my BO sitting on a golfball I had put where she lays to keep from pecking the eggs. Anyways I had taken the eggs everyday and put them in a nesting box where I want them to lay and sit but this one hen insisted on still laying in her spot on the stairs. So I went and got the 4 eggs I had in the nesting box and went and put them under her. Sure enough she tried to peck me...So I went on my way and went to the feed room and started throwing the feed like I do normally. What do you know? Hen comes running when she hears the food. At that time while she was eating I went and put them eggs. All is good. She ate about 7 minutes and back she went. I went in there to see her and she actually let me touch her without trying to take my hand off. Once again I go about my business. About 30 minutes later I go back and again she pecks me. My question is....Is she trying to lay an egg or is she broody?

Just wait until tonight and see if she's on the roost. Was she mad and furious when she came out?

 

[madeintexas806]

No... Just ate really fast and went right back.

 

[Leisure105]

Sounds suspiciously like she is going broody. When my hen goes broody you can touch her and feel under her but she won't leave the nest where normally you couldn't touch her at all. She heavily protests(cackles and pecks my hand and gets all fluffed out) but won't leave. When she does decide to leave the nest to feed, water, poop or bathe she's doing it at Mach speed. Looks like the harried mom trying to do 92 errands in 1 hr.

. Then straight back to the nest. And if she is off the nest and sees me heading for the coop the race is on to get back. I've also had another hen go broody. Normally you could never get within10 feet of her but when she was on the nest you could pet her and she had the same kind of response...protest but won't leave the nest.

 

[aart]

Sounds suspiciously like she is going broody. When my hen goes broody you can touch her and feel under her but she won't leave the nest where normally you couldn't touch her at all. She heavily protests(cackles and pecks my hand and gets all fluffed out) but won't leave. When she does decide to leave the nest to feed, water, poop or bathe she's doing it at Mach speed. Looks like the harried mom trying to do 92 errands in 1 hr.

. Then straight back to the nest. And if she is off the nest and sees me heading for the coop the race is on to get back. I've also had another hen go broody. Normally you could never get within10 feet of her but when she was on the nest you could pet her and she had the same kind of response...protest but won't leave the nest.

Hahahaha!!! That's great analogy!!

Agrees, wait to see if she goes to roost or stays on the nest at night.
3 days and nights on nest, except to eatdrinkpoopbathe, and she's broody.

Decide if you want her to hatch out chicks for you or not...
.....then research and make arrangements to either manage her setting or breaking her broodiness.

 

[madeintexas806]

Nope she left the nest. Did the same thing yesterday. I want her to sit so bad. Maybe come spring she will. Fingers crossed. Thanks yall for the replies.

 

[Leisure105]

Just some food for thought...a couple years ago my hen went broody so I let her sit on 6 eggs. 24 days came and went and no chicks. I checked the eggs and none were viable. I figured my roo must be to old so I gave her a new set of eggs I got from a friend. She sat on those for 21 days and again no chicks. I felt kinda bad for her as she was so determined to brood and her body shape was declining. So here we go. I get her some 2 day old foster chicks and did an experiment. I put the babies in the coop under a lamp for about 2 hours so the hen could hear them. Then I thought I'd try stuffing one chick under her and remove one egg. The hen accepted the chick no problem so I figured he needs a friend under there. So I stuffed another under there. Same thing...she accepted it and further more pecked at me in defence. So a few minutes later I figured if you take 2 you may as well have 6 so I stuffed them all under her. What a great mom she made. I'm sure she would have taken any kind of chick,duck, goose,ostrich if you gave it to her. So if anyone says you can't give them fosters my experience says otherwise. I've done this 3 years in a row now and never any problem.

out of curiosity has anyone else tried this?

 

[aart]

Just some food for thought...a couple years ago my hen went broody so I let her sit on 6 eggs. 24 days came and went and no chicks. I checked the eggs and none were viable. I figured my roo must be to old so I gave her a new set of eggs I got from a friend. She sat on those for 21 days and again no chicks. I felt kinda bad for her as she was so determined to brood and her body shape was declining. So here we go. I get her some 2 day old foster chicks and did an experiment. I put the babies in the coop under a lamp for about 2 hours so the hen could hear them. Then I thought I'd try stuffing one chick under her and remove one egg. The hen accepted the chick no problem so I figured he needs a friend under there. So I stuffed another under there. Same thing...she accepted it and further more pecked at me in defence. So a few minutes later I figured if you take 2 you may as well have 6 so I stuffed them all under her. What a great mom she made. I'm sure she would have taken any kind of chick,duck, goose,ostrich if you gave it to her. So if anyone says you can't give them fosters my experience says otherwise. I've done this 3 years in a row now and never any problem.

out of curiosity has anyone else tried this?

Sometimes it works, plenty of folks have done it successfully.....sometimes it doesn't....depends on many variables.

 

[madeintexas806]

Wow Leisure... Pretty cool. I to have always thought you cant get a hen to foster. Im impressed. I will just wait til spring and see. She is still a little young. Not quiet a year. Fingers crossed. I have not gotten any eggs the last 2 days either though... I need to learn patience...lol.