Broody Hen and Acting Strange

[Jessi81]

My 3 year old Barred Rock, who has never been broody before, is brooding. She is one of my friendliest favorite chickens, and when she finally came off the nest she didn't seem to want to have anything to do with me. Also was puffing up and holding her wings out, reminding me of a male turkey strutting. Is this normal brooding behavior? We did just get a rooster, but he is only about 15 weeks old. Could this maybe have something to do with it? Any advice is much appreciated!

 

[chrissynemetz]

Don't worry, that's perfectly normal broody behavior. They become crazy protective of their nests, and some become just plain mean. But they do go back to their normal personality once you either break them from being broody, or they finish raising their chicks

 

[aart]

Sounds typical of broody behavior.
These are the signs I go by:
Is she on nest most the day and all night?
When you pull her out of nest and put her on the ground, does she flatten right back out into a fluffy screeching pancake?
Does she walk around making a low cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck(ticking bomb) sound on her way back to the nest?
If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.

Not sure addition of cockerel has anything to do with it, tho he may be old enough to fertilize her(barely). Have you seen them mating?
Will you let her set and hatch or not?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Is this normal brooding behavior?

Yes. All mine do that, some to a greater degree than others. She is basically telling the other chickens she does not wan to be bothered. Some spend over an hour at a time off the nest, some just a few minutes, so some are more in a hurry than others. She is off the nest to eat, drink, take a dust bath, poop, and maybe get some exercise. she is generally not there to gossip but wants to take care of business so she can get back to her nest.

We did just get a rooster, but he is only about 15 weeks old.

I doubt that cockerel is even on her radar. Her behavior will tell a rooster she is not laying eggs so don't bother me. Most mature roosters understand. But she would behave that way whether there was a male around or not.

 

[Matilda Belle]

My sweet little black silkie hen is the most kind and affectionate chicken UNTIL she becomes broody and/or has chicks. She's a completely different chicken with those hormones. Luckily they snap out of it.

 

[summertimeislife]

My 3 year old Barred Rock, who has never been broody before, is brooding. She is one of my friendliest favorite chickens, and when she finally came off the nest she didn't seem to want to have anything to do with me. Also was puffing up and holding her wings out, reminding me of a male turkey strutting. Is this normal brooding behavior? We did just get a rooster, but he is only about 15 weeks old. Could this maybe have something to do with it? Any advice is much appreciated!

Yes, this is completely normal if you just got a rooster! mama hens are broody when their eggs are probably fertile, so if your ok with having a baby, i would suggest going out and getting a chick or two. take mama out of her roosting box and into a cage with babies. after they get about a month old, she will nothing to do with them and stop being broody!

 

[Jessi81]

Unfortunately we are at our max for chickens. We took on 3 (although lost one to hawk ) Easter chicks from a friend who's baby's daddy thought would be nice (out of spite to mom) to get for their kids. So no babies for us! I have not seen the rooster, Cluck Norris, mounting or bugging the hens yet. He just started trying to crow this week. They all have been free ranging, but have started to wonder too far and lay outside the coop. Which I think has something to do with 2 brooders and not enough boxes. Put 3 more boxes in and have been keeping them locked up until evening. Am down to just the one brooding now. Think I'm going to try the kick her off the meat multiple times a day and probably the ice pack trick. We'll see if that works. Really don't want to have to lock her up in chicken "jail", so will hope other tricks will work. Will keep updating. Thank you to everyone

 

[aart]

mama hens are broody when their eggs are probably fertile,

This is not true.
Not all hens that have been mated will go broody.
A female that has not even been around a male can go broody.

Really don't want to have to lock her up in chicken "jail", so will hope other tricks will work.

Best of cLuck!
I almost always go right for the breaker crate, no foolin' around!

 

[Matilda Belle]

I haven't had the heart to lock up my broodies. I figure it's a natural thing they need to go through. I give them eggs to hatch every now and then to break the broodiness.

 

[aart]

I haven't had the heart to lock up my broodies.

It's better than letting them sit without eggs and lose condition.