Managing a Broody Hen

One of the most fascinating experiences of raising a backyard flock of hens can also be the most frustrating

Every once in a while, a hen acts strangely She fluffs her feathers, changes her clucking pitch, stops laying, and spends almost all her time in the nest Reach in to retrieve eggs from under her and she’ll enthusiastically scold and probably give fingers a good peck

She’s broody!

Broodiness is a natural bird instinct Until artificial incubators came along in the late 1800s all baby chicks were brooded by a live hen Farmers would prepare rows of nests filled

When Your Hen Decides to Be a Stay-at-Home Mom (a.k.a. Going Broody)

When Your Hen Goes Broody: What It Means and What to Do

One day she’s clucking around the yard, laying eggs like a champ The next day she’s parked in the nest box, glaring at you like you just tried to steal her firstborn Welcome to the world of the broody hen—where logic goes out the window, hormones run the show, and your egg supply takes a nosedive

What “Broody” Really Means

In chicken terms, broody = mom mode Your hen has decided her life’s calling is to sit on eggs until they magically hatch, whether those eggs are fertile or not

The Broody Hen: How to Care for the Hen That Just Won’t Get Off the Eggs

Broody Hens – When such sweet little ladies turn into complete fire-breathing dragons in a snap When it happens … you’ll be left with so many questions and I’m here to help answer some of the most common! Let’s waste NO time and jump right in!

What is a broody hen? — The answer is a broody hen is a chicken that’s natural maternal instinct has kicked in and she has decided to sit on/hatch a

Golf Balls Don’t Hatch, But They Help Manage A Broody Hen

A broody hen can either be a frustrating problem or a big help to anyone keeping a flock of backyard chickens
Broodiness results from a strong mothering instinct The hens of many breeds, especially those that lay white eggs, rarely go broody, while other breeds, often heavy brown egg layers with fluffy feathers, are well known for their mothering instinct
It’s easy to identify a broody hen She’ll stop laying, puff up her feathers, sit in a near trance, vocalize with a distinctive squawk when you disturb her, and spend day and night in a nest box