In Irish farmyard parlance a brooding hen is called a “clocking” hen. When her brain instructs a hen it's time to hatch eggs, she goes into clocking mode. Besides having an urge to sit, her gastrointestinal system changes, allowing her to relieve herself only once a day.
A hen that is committed to hatching chicks is known as a broody. The state of being broody is controlled by instinct, hormones and lighting conditions. Left to her own devices, a broody will lay a clutch of eggs, then stop egg-laying and sit on them for 21 days (more or less) until they hatch.
Left unattended, a hen will stay broody for around 21 days, which is the time it takes to hatch a clutch of fertile eggs. After 21 days the behavior should stop, but sometimes, a hen will remain broody and it's important to “break,” or stop a broody hen before she harms herself.
During her broody period, she will not eat a whole lot, and you shouldn't be surprised if she doesn't even leave the nest for the first day or two. Once she does leave the nest, it'll only be to eat, drink and poop, and then she'll head back to her eggs.
The broody hormones cause a hen to become hot, which is helpful when incubating eggs. To break a broody hen, you need to cool her off to cause those broody hormones to lower. The faster you can cool her off, the less time she will spend being broody.
For most chickens, removing the eggs from under them for a few days will break the broody cycle. They seem to get bored with finding new eggs to sit on every day and decide those little chicks just aren't worth it. Broody Betty will steal eggs for at least a week before she decides to give it up.
We say a hen has “gone broody” when something in her biological clock kicks in and she starts sitting on a nest of eggs. It usually happens in the spring or early summertime but I've had hens suddenly go broody in September. The most obvious sign of broody hen behavior is she won't get off the nest.
It is important to 'break' or stop a hen's broodiness as soon as possible after identifying the behavior. The longer she is broody, the longer it will take to break her and the longer it will take for her to return to egg-laying.
Since a broody hen will take up nesting box space, it is often best to remove her from the normal laying nesting boxes in the coop and provide her with a brooding box within her brooding pen.
She will keep the eggs warm, turn them and then when the chicks hatch, she'll have them outside withing a day or so, teaching them how to find food, look for bugs, what's good to eat and what's not, how to hide from predators and how to take dust baths. All the life skills chickens need to know!
However, being broody does mean she should spend a majority of her time in the nesting box and sleep in the nesting box, too. There are some other tell-tale signs of broodiness if you're unsure if your hen is broody.
If you're wondering if you have a broody hen, here are some signs to look for: A broody hen can be aggressive. She might peck at you if you try to reach into the nest or take the eggs under her. She may also chase away other hens to protect her nest.
Almost all chickens sleep through the night, and as long as no loud noises or intruders bother them, they should not make any noises or get down from their roosts until morning. Older chickens may randomly take a nap or two during the day if they feel secure enough. As chickens age, they need more sleep.
It is crucial that your hens stay in their coop at night. Despite what you might think, there are almost always predators around, even in urban areas. So keep your flock safe and secure.
While they may not seem like the most obviously affectionate of animals, most backyard chickens grow very accustomed to their owners, often delighting in being picked up, petted and talked to in a soft and gentle manner.
Broody hens are slightly different - they have a sudden and strong instinct to sit and hatch eggs. There are ways of discouraging broodiness - see the Broody Chickens section of our Common Chicken Problems page, here - but even a broody hen doesn't get sad about specific eggs being taken away.
Signs of a Broody Hen
She will spend lots of time in the nesting box, and refuse to leave. She will leave occasionally to eat and drink. Broody hens usually consume very little food and water. She may pick at her chest/belly feathers.
Eggs usually become fertile about four days after the rooster has been introduced to the hens. A maximum of 14 to 16 eggs may be brooded in one nest, but hatchability often declines with more than ten eggs, depending on the size of the hen.
How The Chicken Incubates Eggs Naturally. In nature, the female bird selects the nest site and lays a clutch of eggs (usually 8 to 13 eggs), one egg per day. Once she has a clutch of eggs, she begins sitting on the eggs full time, leaving only for food and water.
A broody hen will usually be broody the next year and every year after. Some hens won't be broody until they are 3-4 years old. And some hens will be broody twice or even three times in a summer. Whether you consider a broody hen a blessing or a curse, it's always fun to watch mama hen taking care of her babies.
The onset of broodiness is governed by hormonal production within its body. Very common in rare breeds and less common in hybrid hens. Some hens can be in an almost permanent state of broodiness.
Nutrient deficiency- Hens that are craving protein or need more calcium in their diet may resort to egg eating in order to meet their dietary needs. A feed that is nutritionally lacking can also lead to dietary deficiencies that can cause hens to eat their own eggs for needed nutrition.
The Health of a Hen
A broody hen leaves the nest once a day to drink, eat, dirt bathe, and drop waste. The rest of the time she is on the nest, which can be an issue when the temperature is extremely high. The heat can cause a nesting hen to overheat, become dehydrated, and even die.
A few signs are:
She won't move off eggs all day and stays on the nest for over 24-hours. Growls and puffs up when you try to move her (anywhere). The hen has an obvious 'clutch' of eggs (8 to 12) as she wants them to all hatch together. Your chicken is pecking at other hens when they want to lay eggs!