Broody, Bullied, or Both?

[greylee]

One of my hens, Plum, has been broody on and off for the past few months. Each time I've taken her off the nest and taken all the eggs away and that has "broken" the broodiness for a few weeks. My other hen, Peach, was recently broody for the first time a few weeks ago, but she appeared to have broken her broodiness after Plum and Peach were fighting over the same nesting box.

About a week ago, I noticed Peach in the nesting box with a scab on her head and her tail feathers all messed up. I thought she might have been attacked by something because she's my escape artist and likes to free-range the back yard. But after observing her for a few days, I realized that Plum has been bullying her. I thought Peach was spending all her time in the nesting box because she was being bullied but now I'm wondering if she's just broody again (I also realized that I haven't had an egg from her in awhile).

Whenever she leaves the nest, she puffs up every time Plum goes near her and Plum always tries to take the opportunity to bully her. Keep in mind that Peach can escape the run whenever she wants to get away from Plum.

Today I let all the hens out to free-range. Peach has the run and coop to herself and now she's left the nest to be out in the run. If she were broody would she be leaving the nest like that when the other hens weren't there?

Edit: Now Peach is out there free-ranging with the rest of them.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Broody hens are disruptive to the flock, and often will fight with other hens, or other hens will peck at them. It's always best to break them if you aren't letting them hatch.

Often a broody hen will get her comb pecked by other hens in an attempt to get her to move off the nest.

Sounds like both of your hens need a proper breaking by penning them in a wire bottom crate for 3-5 days.

 

[greylee]

Broody hens are disruptive to the flock, and often will fight with other hens, or other hens will peck at them. It's always best to break them if you aren't letting them hatch.

Often a broody hen will get her comb pecked by other hens in an attempt to get her to move off the nest.

Sounds like both of your hens need a proper breaking by penning them in a wire bottom crate for 3-5 days.

Do broody hens sometimes leave the nest for long periods of time? I think that's why I've been a bit puzzled about what's going on.

Is intermittent broodiness also a thing? Like broody for a week, ok for two weeks, then back to broody again?

Plum (the bully) has started laying again. Do you think there's any point to me penning her now?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Do broody hens sometimes leave the nest for long periods of time? I think that's why I've been a bit puzzled about what's going on.

Is intermittent broodiness also a thing? Like broody for a week, ok for two weeks, then back to broody again?

Plum (the bully) has started laying again. Do you think there's any point to me penning her now?

Being broody is a hormonal phase. If the hormones aren't correctly synchronized you can see all kinds of weird behaviors.

 

[Torripine]

hens will sometimes leave the nest to eat drink but if there gone too long it’s a risk to the eggs if your trying to hatch out I wouldn’t give fertile eggs to that hen, I’d do a lock out (block off the hen from the nesting boxes) if you have a large dog crate isolation for a day or two also works google methods for breaking a brood, tho don’t do the water one it doesn’t really work and your more likely to make the chicken sick, some things to consider if you go the fertile egg route your chicken will loose a lot of weight even if you make sure she’s eating, she might turn homicidal once they hatch( rare hasn’t happened to me but hear lots of horror stories),she’ll need her own space once they hatch also if you’re not keeping them or your chickens are vaccinated you’ll probably want to vaccinate them which is a hassle. I just did a small batch of chicks for a friend because I have a very determined Orpington hen and didn’t want her to brood herself to death. but if you can break the brood and aren’t currently wanting more chickens I’d do that