What in the World?? Anyone Explain This?

[MesMama]

One of my hens looks like a broody with chicks...only problem is that she doesn't have any chicks

When I walk up to her she starts clucking and puffs out like a cotton ball, walking around like broodies do, it's really strange! And I stood back and watched her last night and she was in the grass with the others and she was doing it then too, maybe not as bad as when I was standing there. I'm a little concerned, it's been realllly hot here and isn't letting up until this weekend and so I'm wondering if she's okay?

Anyone have any idea what's going on?

 

[TheKindaFarmGal]

She's broody. Why is that strange?

 

[aart]

She could be thinking about going broody but not yet sitting a nest?

Are they panting and holding wings out with the heat?
What are you doing to relieve the heat for them?

 

[MesMama]

She's broody. Why is that strange?

She's not sitting though, like at all. I've never had one act like that unless she had already hatched out chicks

 

[MesMama]

She could be thinking about going broody but not yet sitting a nest?

Are they panting and holding wings out with the heat?
What are you doing to relieve the heat for them?

Yes, panting and wings out especially when they roost at night. I have two water stations and then I turn on the hose for them during the hottest time of the day for an hours or two and let it trickle to where it puddles up in several places. Also I give them some frozen veggies or strawberries, grapes. And then I have two fans in the coop Windows to circulate air. The windows are on the east and west ends.

 

[aart]

Quote: Do they have some deep shade?

 

[TheKindaFarmGal]

That's normal. She is probably about to go broody. My hens are often like that before sitting on the nest, while they are broody and after chicks are hatched. It sounds like they should be fine with all you are doing with cooling them down. I second aart's question about shade. What has the temp been where you are at?

 

[MesMama]

Do they have some deep shade?

They have several shaded areas, mainly where the puddles are actually which is convenient and then in the pasture there's a hay bale ring that has weeds and grass growing in it and around it that they love to hide in. Do you think that's sufficient shade? There arent any particularly dark spots but a a lot of shaded areas, if that makes sense? Probably the darkest area is under te little coop that's next to their coop that they're all in now (we used the smaller one this spring for the chicks). The water puddles underneath the little coop and there's about 12-18" maybe under there that they like to wade in the water and mud. It's pretty dark under there.

 

[MesMama]

That's normal. She is probably about to go broody. My hens are often like that before sitting on the nest, while they are broody and after chicks are hatched. It sounds like they should be fine with all you are doing with cooling them down. I second aart's question about shade. What has the temp been where you are at?

Temps are 95+ actual and 110-115 heat indexes :O

Interesting about the possibility that she's going broody! Like I said, I haven't ever had one show these behaviors before actually sitting for the 21 days and having the chicks hatch, so I'm intrigued to see what happens ;D