Managing a Broody Hen

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