Possible broody hen

[The chicken nurd]

I have a EE who turned 10 years old recently I’ve noticed she’s been spending more and more time sitting in one of the nest boxes she isn’t acting broody otherwise so here’s my question
Is she broody or just trying to lay an egg (she hasn’t laid in over a year) or is she just getting old?

 

[My Bagurks]

She’s a pretty old bird so it’s hard to tell. Has she actually sat on eggs? Check her belly and see if she’s plucked her feathers out to keep the eggs warm. Once one of my hens did that, I knew she was there to stay and marked the eggs. Nesting boxes are comfortable safe places. She may just be wanting security and a comfy place. Old chickens don’t get bench swings or rocking chairs.

 

[SilverBirds]

She could be going broody, and she could just be really old. If she is broody, she will have a brood patch. Old hens also go to dark quite places to rest...

 

[The chicken nurd]

I checked no broody patch so probably just finding somewhere quiet

 

[Granny23]

She’s a pretty old bird so it’s hard to tell. Has she actually sat on eggs? Check her belly and see if she’s plucked her feathers out to keep the eggs warm. Once one of my hens did that, I knew she was there to stay and marked the eggs. Nesting boxes are comfortable safe places. She may just be wanting security and a comfy place. Old chickens don’t get bench swings or rocking chairs.

My barred rock Cookie is almost a year old. She's Boss Hen for the most part but she is spending an inordinate amount of time in the nest in the past few weeks. She sits on whatever is there and her own if I don't remove them. Is she what you all call "being broody" or just trying to be a good mama hen?

 

[The chicken nurd]

My barred rock Cookie is almost a year old. She's Boss Hen for the most part but she is spending an inordinate amount of time in the nest in the past few weeks. She sits on whatever is there and her own if I don't remove them. Is she what you all call "being broody" or just trying to be a good mama hen?

Is she acting broody besides siting in the nest box
Pecking or biting when you try and get eggs
Does she have a broody patch
Making different noises

 

[Mrs. K]

I think the op's hen is near her finale time, I would not expect her to be broody. But then again, I would expect a 10 year old bird to be near her final time all the time. That is old for a chicken.

 

[Granny23]

Is she acting broody besides siting in the nest box
Pecking or biting when you try and get eggs
Does she have a broody patch
Making different noises

She makes really different noises when she's in the nest if Im poking around under her to get eggs out. But she never pecks at me. She's more indignant. Lol

 

[The chicken nurd]

She makes really different noises when she's in the nest if Im poking around under her to get eggs out. But she never pecks at me. She's more indignant. Lol

My guess is she’s broody but I’ve only ever had a few broody hens do I would suggest posting a thread on here about it to ask more people

 

[rosemarythyme]

My barred rock Cookie is almost a year old. She's Boss Hen for the most part but she is spending an inordinate amount of time in the nest in the past few weeks. She sits on whatever is there and her own if I don't remove them. Is she what you all call "being broody" or just trying to be a good mama hen?

If she's staying in there all day and overnight, puffs up or flattens down if you reach for her, is missing some feathers on her breast, or is making odd sounds you don't normally hear (like a ticking noise), then she's broody. She may not show all those signs but the main indicator is wanting to sit in there day and night.