Do I have a broody hen?
I remember getting extremely excited every time my hen Dora slept in her nest. I thought she was a broody. But no. The next morning there was a gigantic pile of poop that needed cleaning up. So how do you know if your hen is broody?
You find your hen sleeping in her nest
As I stated earlier, that doesn't necessarily mean your hen is broody. But if your hen never slept in a nest before, she may be broody. Don't worry if she runs out of her nest in the morning. She is probably just hungry. Keep an eye on her and give your hen some time.Aggressiveness
You'll find that your hen will not be happy with you taking the eggs she is sitting on. She will be bristling and when you attempt to take her eggs she will growl and maybe even peck you!Gigantic poop
Your hen will poop once in 2 days if she is stubborn. Usually, a broody hen poops once a day. The poop will be massive!( Sorry, no poop picture)
Broody patch
Broody hens typically pluck out the feathers on their chests. It helps them keep the eggs warm and the humidity stable.Refusing to get off her nest
A broody hen will certainly refuse to get off her nest! If she is one of your flighty hens she might fly out but will return once you go away.If your hen Isn't broody, but you would like to hatch chicks, try using an incubator or buying broodier breeds of hens.
Hens that are often broody:
- Silkies
- Ameraucanas
- Australorps
- Delaware hens
- New Hampshire hens
- Dominique hens
- Orpingtons
- Plymouth rocks
- Sussex hens
Non-broody breeds:
- Ancona
- Andalusian
- Barred Rock
- Langshan
- Croad Langshan
- Barnevelder
- Campine
- Sebright
- Leghorns
If you know about other signs hens are broody or have a question, don't forget to write them in the comments!
