Broody hen

[dawg53]

Well, it seems my Black Jersey Giant hen wants to be a mama.
Lately she's been walking around in the pen softly clucking. I've been noticing plucked black feathers in the big nest box inside the coop for the past week. She doesnt have external parasites neither. When I went to lock the birds in the coop yesterday evening, the JG was in the big nest box. My first thought was that she might be eggbound and perhaps I'd find an egg in the nest box this morning.

I told Sharon what was going on and then it dawned on me that she might be broody, and I'd surely find out this morning.
When I went out to open the coops early this morning, the JG was still in the nest box. I lifted her up and there was a small pile of black feathers and the fake egg that she was setting on, and she was softly clucking again like before. She had not laid her own egg. So yes, she wants to be a mama.
I hate to disappoint her, but it's not gonna happen.
Fortunately she's not at a point where I'll have to separate her to break her broodiness, she's not "hard core" broody just yet. I'll remove the fake egg from the nest boxes and see what happens with her. Also, she hasnt been staying in the nest box during the day, a good thing.

[seminolewind]

When I get a broody that's not a silkie I just take them off the nest and put them outside whenever I've been back by the chickens. It may take a few days but it works for me.

[dawg53]

She was in the nest box again this morning setting on 2 eggs laid by the others. She kicked out the EE's blue egg lol. I collected the eggs, then removed her from the nest box. She is showing bare skin below her crop halfway down her abdomen. There were small feathers in the nest box as well.
She spent the rest of the day in the pen which is good.

[seminolewind]

Normal to pluck out feathers and she will definitely not freeze to death! I did have a Jersey that went broody and also one Polish that went broody. Silly birds! I have silkies now that only one has gone broody once in 2 years.