Broody Buff?

[Jasfarm]

I have a broody Buff Orpington - I think. She exhibited the signs of pre-broodiness, raising her hackles, hissing, and staying in the best box. However, would still free-range, eat, laid eggs, dust bathe, but would much prefer to be in the nest box.

We put her in a dog crate for 24, didn't work, then back in for a full 48 hr. Today, she ran around scratching, but now she is back in the nest box; I hope to lay an egg.

My question is 1) is she actually broody? 2) I hate leaving her in the crate, I have chicks but they are way too old at this point to do a switch. 3) should I give her fertilized eggs? Or can I even find a day old chick somewhere and put that under her? Or would she need a clutch?

Thank you!

 

[Wyorp Rock]

If she's out and about eating/drinking, active for most of the day, then she's not broody.
A lot of my hens that are not broody will hiss, growl, peck, etc. when you disturb them when they are in a nest/laying an egg.

You wouldn't want to give her chicks at this stage. She would need to be absolutely broody (sitting on eggs/staying put) for close to 21 days so you have the best chance for her to accept day old chicks.

I'd be sure she's broody and actually sitting before I gave her fertile eggs I wanted to hatch.

My 2¢

 

[Jasfarm]

If she's out and about eating/drinking, active for most of the day, then she's not broody.
A lot of my hens that are not broody will hiss, growl, peck, etc. when you disturb them when they are in a nest/laying an egg.

You wouldn't want to give her chicks at this stage. She would need to be absolutely broody (sitting on eggs/staying put) for close to 21 days so you have the best chance for her to accept day old chicks.

I'd be sure she's broody and actually sitting before I gave her fertile eggs I wanted to hatch.

My 2¢

I will take your 2c! That’s what I was worried about if she was actually broody or just going through a little ornery phase!

Thank you so much! This forum is always so helpful and supportive!

 

[azygous]

There are several different stages of broodiness. Not all will cause a hen to want to graft herself to a nest renouncing all normal behavior. There is pre-broody behavior, post broody behavior, and partial broody behavior in addition to sitting on eggs exclusively for three weeks straight.

Sometimes, a hen will remain in pre-broody mode for weeks, never really getting to the point of sitting on eggs. Then there is partial broody behavior where the drive to sit on a nest is never an issue, but adopting existing chicks is the compulsion. This is similar to the post broody stage where a hen is caring for and raising chicks. I have examples right now in my flock of both of these types.

One is a nine-year old Welsummer hen who has adopted three sets of store chicks over the recent years, and she's currently partially broody, complete with rapid clucking and tidbitting, and she's caring for four four-week old EE chicks.

The other is a one-year old Blue Plymouth Rock hen who has been pre-broody for six weeks and while spending a couple of crabby hours on the nest each day, she continues to lay but never has achieved full broodiness. She doesn't need to be kicked off the nest as she leaves each day to return to the flock and reverting to normal behavior.

When your hen installs herself in a nest and she remains there all day and all night, hasn't laid an egg in a few days, then you might consider her fully broody and ready to sit on some fertilized eggs. Or you can then break her if you do not wish for her to be broody for the next three weeks.

 

[Jasfarm]

There are several different stages of broodiness. Not all will cause a hen to want to graft herself to a nest renouncing all normal behavior. There is pre-broody behavior, post broody behavior, and partial broody behavior in addition to sitting on eggs exclusively for three weeks straight.

Sometimes, a hen will remain in pre-broody mode for weeks, never really getting to the point of sitting on eggs. Then there is partial broody behavior where the drive to sit on a nest is never an issue, but adopting existing chicks is the compulsion. This is similar to the post broody stage where a hen is caring for and raising chicks. I have examples right now in my flock of both of these types.

One is a nine-year old Welsummer hen who has adopted three sets of store chicks over the recent years, and she's currently partially broody, complete with rapid clucking and tidbitting, and she's caring for four four-week old EE chicks.

The other is a one-year old Blue Plymouth Rock hen who has been pre-broody for six weeks and while spending a couple of crabby hours on the nest each day, she continues to lay but never has achieved full broodiness. She doesn't need to be kicked off the nest as she leaves each day to return to the flock and reverting to normal behavior.

When your hen installs herself in a nest and she remains there all day and all night, hasn't laid an egg in a few days, then you might consider her fully broody and ready to sit on some fertilized eggs. Or you can then break her if you do not wish for her to be broody for the next three weeks.

Wow! Thank you. I had no idea the stages. It sounds like she might be similar to your blue Plymouth.

Or maybe she’s more similar to the 9 year old? I do have 3 week old chicks. How would I even test to see if she would like the chicks or would that just be a disaster as they haven’t imprinted?

 

[azygous]

The test to see if a hen is interested in adopting chicks is easy and very clear. If your hen has been in direct proximity to these chicks for most of these three weeks, she will be trying to get close to them, will be focusing all her attention on them, and may even be rapidly clucking and tidbitting to them.

You can try putting her in with the chicks, but watch her carefully. If she doesn't peck at them annoyingly while trying to eat all their food, and if she is patient when they come up to her and peck at her in their inquisitive manner, but she doesn't peck at them back, she may be conditioned to adopt them. But if she's short tempered with them, no, she's not in the mood to adopt at this time. But continued exposure could cause her to bond with them.