Some absolutely hate having a broody hen.
Others (me, me, me!) absolutely love it.
When a hen goes broody, she’s ready to hunker down, hatch some eggs, and raise the next generation of flock members.
For us, that means we don’t have to:
- Incubate eggs,
- Purchase chicks,
- Maintain a brooder,
- Or take special care of the chicks.
Instead, momma does all of the work, with what is likely a surplus of eggs.
We’re getting pummeled with eggs, and we also have a broody hen.
If we can’t use all of the eggs, we might as well hatch them, right?
I currently have 20 chicks in a brooder currently, and I’m not excited about having to incorporate these little guys into the flock; it’s stressful.
For them, and for myself.
This broody hen will bring her chicks straight into the flock, 100% eliminating the stress and struggle for both myself and the babies.
Let’s face it: Mother Nature knows best (so does momma!)
When you let the hens take the reigns, it makes life much easier.
Perhaps I’ve just sold you on the priceless value of a good, reliable broody hen- here, she’s worth her weight in gold.
If you want to know what to look for in a broody hen, keep reading!
#1: She’s Sitting
Hens sit on the nest almost every day to lay an egg for your family’s breakfast.
This process could take anywhere from 10 minutes to over an hour, depending on the hen herself.
The hen commonly sits on the nest for a short time after laying the egg, so you must be prepared to monitor the hen carefully.
She almost appears to be breathing in some sighs of relief, contemplating life, while cursing her daily duties; I wouldn’t want to lay an egg every day either, though.
Shortly thereafter, the hen leaves the nest for the day; if she does not leave, you likely have a broody hen on your hands.
If she sits for most of the day for 2 or 3 days, you’re probably safe to leave her with eggs (as long as she demonstrates other signs of broodiness.)
#2: She’s Becoming Aggressive
Some hens don’t become aggressive broodies with their owners at all; so this may not be applicable.
Many hens will peck at you if you interrupt their laying, as well.
However, a hen that is simply resting in a nest is unlikely to peck.
Thus, if you have a hen that is sitting in a nest multiple times throughout the day, who may lunge to peck at you, or pecks when touched, she is likely broody.
Broody hens may also puff up, making themselves appear bigger and meaner.
She may squawk angrily, or growl.
Below is an example that I have uploaded to my YouTube channel (come subscribe if you enjoy our blog!) of a protective, aggravated hen. She was not broody, but was being protective of her space and nest while trying to lay. The noises she makes tells you she means business.
#3 She’s Very Attentive and Obsessive with Her Eggs
If a suspected broody is hoarding eggs, that’s another good sign.
If you place an egg in front of her or disturb the nest, she’ll quickly scramble to pull the eggs beneath her, rearrange her body, and settle down with feathers poofed out. This is how she keeps the eggs warm and cozy.
If you remove eggs from beneath her, she will essentially lose her mind; as any mother would when her babies are taken. She’ll sound the alarm, she’ll look for her eggs, and she’ll quickly try to claim any egg within eyesight.
#4 She’s Stopped Laying
When a hen goes broody, she quits laying.
Before going broody, a hen will lay an egg every day in the same nest.
Once the hen has a clutch of eggs, she stops laying and begins sitting; this allows the entire clutch to hatch at once.
Laying while sitting is a significant waste of energy and bodily resources; the hen must preserve her body condition due to very limited time to forage and eat.
Laying every day could very well starve a hen.
#5 She Only Leaves to Eat, Drink, and Poop
When a hen’s broody, she’ll only leave the nest to eat, drink, and poop.
This is because she’ll only leave the nest a few times per day, and when she does, she can only leave for a few minutes at a time.
You’ll likely see the hallmark “broody poop” from a momma hen, which is a massive pile of waste that smells quite foul.
We all know chickens are pooping machines; they don’t seem to stop. A broody will avoid defecating in the nest, and instead, holds it until she leaves.
Below, a terrible image of a momma eating soaked feed with her chick! (Here, you’ll find my post about soaking chicken feed and how it saves tons of money!)
