Broody vs stuck egg

[Axalea]

Hey yall since this is my first winter with chicks some of my black chickens are starting to get what I think is broody, they never leave the nesting boxes and puff up when you go near them or touch them.

are they just being broody? Or is there an egg stuck in them? Ive always heard about eggs getting stuck in chickens but ive never understood the symptoms and I hear it can be fatal if not handled properly. I'd rather be proactive than reactive. Any advice helps!

 

[OrpingtonManiac]

Hey yall since this is my first winter with chicks some of my black chickens are starting to get what I think is broody, they never leave the nesting boxes and puff up when you go near them or touch them.

They sound like broody hens.

is there an egg stuck in them? Ive always heard about eggs getting stuck in chickens but ive never understood the symptoms and I hear it can be fatal if not handled properly. I'd rather be proactive than reactive. Any advice helps!

Egg binding is when the egg is stuck inside them while they are trying to lay it. They will often be hunched over, pass wet droppings and refuse to eat or drink, as well as sitting in the nest-box. It doesnt sound like your hens are egg bound.

Hope this helps!

 

[aart]

Knowing more about your flock might help here...
How many birds(age, in weeks, and genders).
How big is coop in feet by feet(dimensions and pics are a big help)?

But here's my go to on broody ID:
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.
Here's how I usually manage it:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/broody-breaking-ala-aart.77915/

 

[Ridgerunner]

My go-to to determine if they are really broody is where do they spend the night. There are a lot of signs that they might possibly be broody (some pretty strong signs) but I do not consider a hen to be truly broody until she spends two consecutive nights on the nest instead of in her normal sleeping spot. One night is not enough, it has to be two consecutive nights. It is simple and amazingly accurate.

I have never had a hen with internal laying so I can't help you with that.

 

[Axalea]

Knowing more about your flock might help here...
How many birds(age, in weeks, and genders).
How big is coop in feet by feet(dimensions and pics are a big help)?

But here's my go to on broody ID:
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.
Here's how I usually manage it:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/broody-breaking-ala-aart.77915/

19 laying hens, 3 ducks, 1 peacock 1 rooster
All chickens are under a year old, peacock is 1.5-2 (it's my wife's project okay happy wife happy life) rooster is older than a dinosaur I have no clue his age my BIL gave him to us.
4 chickens are probably under 6 months old.

the coop is 25x48 feet.

It's specifically one of the black hens that I think is broody, however what's the downside to being broody? Should i just let her be broody? She will sit and be broody in the hen boxes even if there's NO eggs

 

[rosemarythyme]

however what's the downside to being broody? Should i just let her be broody? She will sit and be broody in the hen boxes even if there's NO eggs

Possible downsides: In some cases they lose too much body condition to recover from. She may be more susceptible to mites/lice as she'll spend most of her time sitting there.

Her behavior can also cause problems with the flock, either by shifts in the pecking order or by upsetting other birds who want to lay but are confused/upset by her behavior.

I break my broodies as I find that to be best for harmony in the flock and I have no interest in having them hatch. aart linked her breaker set up above.

And as far as the original question, I've never had an internal layer either.

 

[Axalea]

Possible downsides: In some cases they lose too much body condition to recover from. She may be more susceptible to mites/lice as she'll spend most of her time sitting there.

Her behavior can also cause problems with the flock, either by shifts in the pecking order or by upsetting other birds who want to lay but are confused/upset by her behavior.

I break my broodies as I find that to be best for harmony in the flock and I have no interest in having them hatch. aart linked her breaker set up above.

And as far as the original question, I've never had an internal layer either.

I am VERY interested in having them hatch, except she's not the breed I want to hatch :/ however she will sit on other eggs, most of our eggs I believe are fertilized so will she hatch other eggs that aren't hers?

 

[rosemarythyme]

I am VERY interested in having them hatch, except she's not the breed I want to hatch :/ however she will sit on other eggs, most of our eggs I believe are fertilized so will she hatch other eggs that aren't hers?

Yes, as a general rule they will (occasionally you'll hear of hens that hate certain eggs colors, but that's the exception). They don't really know which eggs are theirs and hens often deposit eggs in each other's nest sites, so you can have her hatch the eggs you choose.

 

[Ridgerunner]

will she hatch other eggs that aren't hers?

A good broody hen will try to hatch her eggs, other chickens' eggs, other species eggs (like turkey, duck, pheasant), ping pong balls, door knobs, or nothing at all (possibly using her imagination), and many other things. They are living animals so you can always have an exception but other hen's eggs should not be a problem at all.

I generally start to collect eggs to hatch after a hen has gone broody and stopped laying. Mine almost never hatch their own eggs. They don't know and don't care.

 

[Mrs. K]

Well, I have never had an egg bound bird either. I have a secret theory that egg bound can be caused by not enough exercise, if kept in too small of a set up. But it is just my theory.

As for a broody hen:

• nothing is more fun than a hen with chicks
• what is your climate? Winter?
• Are you getting fertile eggs from the old boy? Check while cooking to see if you have the bulls eyes.
• It sounds like you have some older birds, some younger birds which I think makes a healthier flock.
• Can you dispatch cockerels? When you hatch eggs, you get cockerels - last summer, my first hatch 100% cockerels later in the summer got 100% pullets - but the chance of extra roosters is real - and too many roosters cause a lot of problems.
• If you don't want to hatch for any reason - that is ok, but if not - do do the broody break - especially if you are in winter. Winter and being broody can be hard on them.

If you want to hatch some chicks - well that is a whole new post! haha - l love to hatch chicks - I only do small clutches.

Mrs K