What does Broody hen mean?

[Ema]

I am new and I know some of you might think this is a stupid question but I am wondering what the term Broody hen means?

 

[LarryPQ]

a broody hen is a hen who has decided she wants to become a momma.

It means she'll start sitting on her eggs, become a bit evil, and protect her babies like a velociraptor.

 

[Tanichca]

A broody is a hen who decides to sit on something (doesn't necessarily need to be eggs- some types of birds will try to hatch a golf ball!) and try to hatch it out. typically it takes 21 days for eggs to hatch, but sometimes a hen will sit for far longer. She wont like people touching her, and may become rather mean if you try to.

 

[teach1rusl]

And it appears to be hormonally or instinctually driven, this urge to nest...

 

[LarryPQ]

I have had many a broody try to hatch a turd.

Good call tanicha.

 

[Ema]

hahahahahaha that is hilarious!!!! ok so I got it..that explains why when I was a kid I always thought my grandmothers hens were evil!!! they used to chase me right out of the coop without a single egg!!!!

 

[feathersnuggles]

It means she wants to be a living, breathing egg-incubator. She wants Bay-Bees!... and she wants them Now! She is in full-on hormonal instinct and she will sit on and try to hatch absolutely ANYTHING.

One recent BYC post about a broody made me laugh so hard, I almost fell off my chair. It's called "Broody tries to hatch a Tupperware container" It's a hoot, here it is.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=4204007

 

[kellbellsa]

What does it mean if they a description of a breed says they have a single broodiness? Does that mean they only go through it 1 time? My orpington became broody, but she never got mean. We would just lift one side of her and look for an egg. She stopped now though.