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Again, I haven't much experience having just gone through this for the first time, but Baby did much the same as your Cochin a month or so BEFORE she really became broody. She continued to lay eggs but did spend a lot of time sitting on them if I didn't get them taken out, she also slept in the nesting box a couple of nights, and was acting odd in other ways too -- at the time I shooed her out of the coop, removed the eggs quickly, and either I nipped it in the bud or perhaps she just wasn't quite ready, but there were signs of broodiness.
Since I don't want chicks and we don't even have fertile eggs here, next time Baby or any of the others starts to appear broody, I'll definitely stick them in the anti-broody cage soon as possible.
But one thing to consider, too, just one of my hens lays her eggs very quickly once settled on the nest -- the others take varying amounts of time -- one or two will sit on the nest for an hour or more, even sometimes come out with no egg laid and go back later, or sometimes after they've laid their egg they continue to sit on the nest for a bit. And sometimes the others will go in, sit on the nest for a moment, then come out, then go back again a bit later. They will often give me a warning vocalization and fluff a bit if I'm wondering what the heck's going on and pop my head in under the roof and they're sitting there -- they don't particularly like being bothered. Without asking anyone, I've always assumed this was normal behavior since they don't seem distressed -- just taking their time laying!
Again, I haven't much experience having just gone through this for the first time, but Baby did much the same as your Cochin a month or so BEFORE she really became broody. She continued to lay eggs but did spend a lot of time sitting on them if I didn't get them taken out, she also slept in the nesting box a couple of nights, and was acting odd in other ways too -- at the time I shooed her out of the coop, removed the eggs quickly, and either I nipped it in the bud or perhaps she just wasn't quite ready, but there were signs of broodiness.
Since I don't want chicks and we don't even have fertile eggs here, next time Baby or any of the others starts to appear broody, I'll definitely stick them in the anti-broody cage soon as possible.
But one thing to consider, too, just one of my hens lays her eggs very quickly once settled on the nest -- the others take varying amounts of time -- one or two will sit on the nest for an hour or more, even sometimes come out with no egg laid and go back later, or sometimes after they've laid their egg they continue to sit on the nest for a bit. And sometimes the others will go in, sit on the nest for a moment, then come out, then go back again a bit later. They will often give me a warning vocalization and fluff a bit if I'm wondering what the heck's going on and pop my head in under the roof and they're sitting there -- they don't particularly like being bothered. Without asking anyone, I've always assumed this was normal behavior since they don't seem distressed -- just taking their time laying!
