Broody Hens: What Does It Mean and How Do You Deal With It?

As a chicken keeper, sooner or later you will encounter the phenomenon of 'broody hens'. This is a natural behavior that chickens exhibit when they want to hatch eggs. Although broody hens are an important part of chicken farming, dealing with them can sometimes be a challenge. In this blog, we will delve deeper into what broody hens are, how to recognize them, and how to deal with them.

What is a broody hen?

A broody hen is a chicken that has entered the nest-building phase. This means that the hen instinctively wants to hatch eggs to hatch her chicks. Broody hens exhibit specific behaviors, such as sitting on the nest, protecting the eggs, and reacting aggressively to people who come near.

Broody behavior is primarily driven by hormones. When the hen lays eggs, the prolactin level in her body increases. This hormone stimulates broody behavior. In addition, other hormones such as estrogen and progesterone also play a role.

Recognizing a broody hen

A broody hen is generally easy to recognize by her behavior. Some characteristics include:

• She stays on the nest for a long time, even if there are no eggs in it.
• She becomes aggressive when you try to remove her from the nest.
• She makes clucking sounds to protect her territory.
• She plucks her belly bare to better incubate the eggs.
• She refuses food and water as long as she is on the nest.

In addition, you can also look at the physical characteristics of the hen. A broody hen often has a redder comb and wattles because the blood flows to her head. Her belly may also be bare from plucking her feathers.

Dealing with broody hens

Although broody hens exhibit natural behavior, dealing with them can sometimes be difficult. Here are some tips:

Breaking broody behavior

If you don't want the hen to brood, you can try to break the broody behavior. You do this by regularly removing the hen from the nest and forcing her to eat and drink. In addition, you can make the nest unattractive by, for example, putting wood or plastic in it instead of straw.

However, breaking broody behavior can be a challenge and often requires a lot of time and patience. Some hens stubbornly remain on the nest despite all attempts.

Opting for natural incubation

If you do want the hen to brood, you can naturally let her have her way. Make sure the nest is comfortable and that there is sufficient food and water nearby. Regularly check whether the hen is taking good care of the eggs.

Note that a broody hen will lay fewer eggs, as all her energy will go towards hatching the eggs. Moreover, incubating eggs during the summer months can cause stress for the hen due to the high temperatures.

Artificial incubation

If you want to hatch the eggs yourself, you can also opt for artificial incubation. For this, you use an incubator, which keeps the eggs at the correct temperature and humidity. This is a good option if you do not have broody hens in your flock or if you want the chicks to hatch at a specific time.

The advantage of artificial incubation is that you can better control the eggs and that the hen can continue laying. The disadvantage is that the chicks do not have a mother hen to raise them.

Conclusion

Broody hens are a normal and natural part of chicken keeping. It is important to understand what broody hens are, how to recognize them, and how to deal with them. By using the right approach, you can ensure that you can manage your broody hens well, so that both you and your chickens benefit from it.