What is my chicken doing?

[Babnboots]

I have a two plus year old Buff Orpington that has been solo for a few months after losing three to heat and one unknown cause. The last four days she has been inside the coop all puffed up. She went through molt in Sept/Oct, for a minute I thought she was going through it again but she's not losing feathers. The next thought was is she trying to hatch but there is nothing with her to hatch. I can get her out to have worms and get a drink, she seems to be eating and she isn't pooping inside so my guess is she is getting out to go. I've got 4 week old chicks coming along so I put her in a kennel with them to see what she'd do. All she did was eat their feed. She barely acknowledged them. She looks like aTom turkey all puffed up.

 

[talkinboutchickens]

Well, there are many possibilities of what it could be, #1 being that she is broody. Does she try to peck you? Squack at other chickens? does she make this sound?

 

[Babnboots]

Well, there are many possibilities of what it could be, #1 being that she is broody. Does she try to peck you? Squack at other chickens? does she make this sound?

Would she be broody with no eggs?

 

[Mrs. K]

She sounds broody to me. She won't accept the 4 week old chicks, but she would take day old chicks.

Otherwise it would be best to break her.

 

[Yardmom]

A chicken can still become broody even without eggs to sit on. I'm guessing that is what is going on.
It is normal for a hen to ignore chicks that she doesn't consider hers. Sometimes broody hens can be quite mean to chicks they didn't hatch.

Sounds like she is actually doing pretty well with your chicks. She may not pay much attention to them. Hopefully once they hit point of lay they will be a content flock.

 

[talkinboutchickens]

Would she be broody with no eggs?

Yes, she definitely is broody! There are many ways and methods out there to break a broody hen, but whether or not you want to break her is up to you. One option is to just keep taking eggs away from her (if there are any eggs.)

 

[Auntiejessi3]

She is definitely broody! If you have already lost hens to the heat I would not let her sit, I'd break her asap. Read this https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/broody-breaking-ala-aart.77915/ Do you have any pictures of your setup? Where are you located in general?