Hen sits on eggs like shes broody then stops

carlyt

In the Brooder
Jun 13, 2025
11
1
16
She's the only hen that lays brown eggs. Over the last couple weeks I have thought she has been broody multiple times. She is still laying eggs and hasn't stopped.
What could be happening here. She's sitting on a couple eggs, hers included. Then doesn't sit overnight. I understand they can breaks during the day and stuff. I think she's broody, put the eggs in want under her. Then she abandons them.
Picture of different hen and chicks.
 

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She's the only hen that lays brown eggs. Over the last couple weeks I have thought she has been broody multiple times. She is still laying eggs and hasn't stopped.
What could be happening here. She's sitting on a couple eggs, hers included. Then doesn't sit overnight. I understand they can breaks during the day and stuff. I think she's broody, put the eggs in want under her. Then she abandons them.
Picture of different hen and chicks.
Doesn't sound broody if she's not sitting overnight.

Where is she sitting during the day? Could she just be taking a rest, avoiding a rooster or??

Check her over for lice/mites, see that she's eating/drinking well. Make sure her crop is emptying overnight.

Observe to see if she's being bullied/kept from food, avoiding the flock/hiding out, etc.
 
Doesn't sound broody if she's not sitting overnight.

Where is she sitting during the day? Could she just be taking a rest, avoiding a rooster or??

Check her over for lice/mites, see that she's eating/drinking well. Make sure her crop is emptying overnight.

Observe to see if she's being bullied/kept from food, avoiding the flock/hiding out, etc.
I will check her for all of those things tonight... I found her in there overnight last night. This morning she wasn't and a diff hen was in the nesting box laying. Do you think brown egg hen is getting out of the box to let the others lay then goes back in there?
That would make sense why i see her out and about every morning, and maybe its a coincidence why i sometimes see her on the nest and sometimes not.
She just confuses me a bit, because the last handful of broody hens youd have to pick them up to move them to collect the eggs and they would go right back in. They wouldnt spend much time off the eggs, or get kicked out by other hens.
 
I will check her for all of those things tonight... I found her in there overnight last night. This morning she wasn't and a diff hen was in the nesting box laying. Do you think brown egg hen is getting out of the box to let the others lay then goes back in there?
That would make sense why i see her out and about every morning, and maybe its a coincidence why i sometimes see her on the nest and sometimes not.
She just confuses me a bit, because the last handful of broody hens youd have to pick them up to move them to collect the eggs and they would go right back in. They wouldnt spend much time off the eggs, or get kicked out by other hens.
How hot is it where you live?

I have had a broody stay off the nest during the day when the weather was very hot, but she'd stay near her nest and keep most of the hens away from the nest.

Is your hen walking around clucking/puffing up and overall grumpy even when off the nest?

If it's not really hot, then my broodies will scream bloody murder and not leave the nest when another hen approaches/gets into the nest with them.

Is your hen getting pecked really hard to leave the nest?
 

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