Egg bound or broody?

[sbergstrom09]

Hi! My hen who is just over a year old (Easter Egger) has been in the nesting box A LOT. She was in possibly all last night and majority of the day today. The past two days frequently, more yesterday. She is making really low short clucks and almost “growls” when other hens go near her. She has let me pet her and take her out of the nesting box no problem. She had two eggs from other hens under her today and let me take them but went back into one of the boxes after. She looks like she is in egg laying position, tail up. Is she egg bound or broody? I want to treat her asap if she is egg bound. Thanks!

 

[Yardmom]

You have a broody hen. Time to decide if you want her to hatch chicks.

 

[sourland]

Sounds as if she is broody.

 

[sbergstrom09]

You have a broody hen. Time to decide if you want her to hatch chicks.

How would I know if she’s broody vs eggbound?

 

[sbergstrom09]

Sounds as if she is broody.

How would I know if she’s broody vs eggbound?

 

[ksbkeys]

Hi! My hen who is just over a year old (Easter Egger) has been in the nesting box A LOT. She was in possibly all last night and majority of the day today. The past two days frequently, more yesterday. She is making really low short clucks and almost “growls” when other hens go near her. She has let me pet her and take her out of the nesting box no problem. She had two eggs from other hens under her today and let me take them but went back into one of the boxes after. She looks like she is in egg laying position, tail up. Is she egg bound or broody? I want to treat her asap if she is egg bound. Thanks!

The sounds and behaviors that you described fits a broody hen to a "T".
Also, the fact that she is sitting on eggs.

 

[sbergstrom09]

The sounds and behaviors that you described fits a broody hen to a "T".
Also, the fact that she is sitting on eggs.

Oh ok! She hasn’t laid in a few days, is that normal for a broody hen? That’s where I was concerned about her being egg bound vs broody

 

[ksbkeys]

Oh ok! She hasn’t laid in a few days, is that normal for a broody hen? That’s where I was concerned about her being egg bound vs broody

I never noticed that with my broody hen whether or not she laid eggs while broody...anybody know?

 

[sbergstrom09]

She did lay a few days ago but hasn’t in about 3. Last week she climbed into the nesting box, pushed one

I never noticed that with my broody hen whether or not she laid eggs while broody...anybody know?

of the hens out and laid down. The other hen pushed her way back in and laid on top of her, then laid her egg while sitting on her! Funniest thing! There are also three other nesting boxes right next to that one haha

 

[sourland]

Broody hens stop laying. If they continued it would result in a disastrous staggered hatch. Nature has common sense.