Possible Pre-Broody Behavior?

[DemeterAD9]

This is my first spring with chickens so all my birds are just under a year old. I let my birds free range during the day and they always come back to the coop at night. I get home a few hours after dark so that's when I go around locking them up and collecting eggs.

When locking up the birds for the night and looking for eggs in all the usual places I noticed one of my girls sitting next to a nest of 3 eggs inside a covered trailer where I keep the straw and feed. Odd but not the first time someone wanted to spend the night in the trailer. Then I did a head count and I was short 3 more hens. Checked under the coop, there's one, checked under a kid's picnic table covered by a tarp and found my dark brahma where she likes to lay her eggs (she just started). Went around the yard and finally found the missing BJG under the deck which is where the flock has been hanging out on the more cold, windy, snowy days. So all the time this winter. I got all but the BJG back in the coop, I just really didn't want to crawl that far under the deck to retrieve a bird that I plan to sell soon anyways. Chances are she'll be fine for a night.

So the question is, are they all suddenly deciding they want to go broody at once? They were out and about all day, all 4 in question laid their egg for the day and went around business as usual. When I was putting the 3 back in the coop they didn't hiss or make a fuss as you'd expect a broody to do but then again it was dark. The only other possibilities is they were shut out of the run (the wind sometimes closes the gate) or they were spooked by something. Normally when the gate closes them out they will sleep under the coop, but the stone I place against the gate to prevent that was still there. If they were spooked I'd expect more than just 4/21 to be scattered and I certainly wounldn't expect them to be in places that are popular nesting spots, Is this what I'll have to battle with when birds want to go broody from now on? Hunting around every night isn't my cup of tea. We have critters running around and I expect the coon to be on prowl with the recent heat wave melting all the snow and ice.

I wouldn't mind a broody or 2 as I'll be setting eggs in another 12 days. It would be neat to have a couple hens do the dirty work for me and raise up the chicks. But I'd rather they do it in a safe spot, guess I'll have to work on making the nest boxes and corners of the coop look more enticing for them.

 

[sourland]

I doubt that what you are seeing today is pre broody behavior. Your other possibilities are more likely.

 

[DemeterAD9]

Seems like something did indeed scare them. Everyone was back to normal and where they were supposed to be last night. Had to go on an egg hunt though as the dark brahma doesn't seem to want to lay under the picnic table anymore after I grabbed her from underneath it the other night.

I'll probably add an update when/if someone shows more promising signs.

 

[DemeterAD9]

I think it is happening this time. My most promising broody, my only bantam, sat on fake eggs all last night and was still on them this afternoon so I popped some eggs under her. She has always been vicious even when just laying an egg but she is even more so now. She has one of her own eggs, I think it’s the only one I have that isn’t hard boiled. Hopefully she can cover them all, if not I’ll remove a couple.

I’ve also taken note that a few other girls who are usually very docile when I reach under them to collect are puffing up and yelling at me. Perhaps there will be another one who wants to be broody. If so I’ll let them give it a go too and focus on my colored egg project.

 

[DemeterAD9]

Bantam hen is still going strong despite having to fight with the other hens to keep her box. She just had to choose the most popular nest box to go broody in. I've seen her take two short breaks to eat and drink before running back to the coop.

Checked eggs and most seem to be developing, plus an extra blue EE egg one of the other hens snuck in despite me checking daily. It was starting to develop so I left it.