Broodiness is one of the most puzzling things a new chicken keeper encounters.

One day your hen is happily laying every morning — the next she is sitting stubbornly in the nest box. Here is everything you need to know.

What is broodiness?

Broodiness is a completely natural hormonal state that drives a hen to sit on and hatch a clutch of eggs. As the British Hen Welfare Trust (BHWT) explains, any hen can become broody at any time — even hens that have never seen an egg, never lived with a cockerel, and have been kept in a cage system their whole lives. The instinct is hardwired.

How do I know if my hen is broody?

She sits in a nest box for extended periods — sometimes all day and all night without moving

She is reluctant to leave and may peck, squawk or growl if you try to move her

She fluffs up her feathers into a wide, flat shape when sitting

She makes a distinctive low clucking or growling sound

She pulls feathers from her chest to line the nest and create warmth for the eggs

She stops laying while she is broody

She eats and drinks significantly less than normal

Which breeds go broody most often?

Pure breeds are generally more prone to broodiness than hybrids. Modern hybrid hens have had much of the broody instinct selectively reduced — though it can never be entirely eliminated. The most notoriously broody breeds include:

Silkies — almost permanently broody

Orpingtons — frequently broody, wonderful mothers

Cochins — very broody

Sussex — occasionally broody

If you want to avoid broodiness entirely, hybrid hens such as Black Rocks, Bluebells or Warrens are the most reliable choice.

What should I do if my hen goes broody?

If you do not have a cockerel and therefore no fertilised eggs, a broody hen serves no useful purpose and can actually harm her health by eating and drinking too little. You have two options:

Option 1 — Let her sit it out

If you are not in a hurry, you can simply let her sit. After approximately 21 days (the time it would take eggs to hatch) she will usually give up naturally. Place her food and water close to the nest box so she at least has easy access.

Option 2 — Break the brood

If you want to break the cycle sooner, the BHWT recommends the following tried and tested methods:

Remove her from the nest box regularly throughout the day — firmly but gently

Block off the nest boxes temporarily so she cannot return

Place her in a separate pen with airflow around her body helps reduce her temperature and break the hormonal cycle. 

Replace real eggs with dummy rubber eggs — she may give up when they do not hatch

Collect eggs frequently — removing eggs from the nest discourages sitting

Never simply leave a broody hen sitting indefinitely without intervention — her health can deteriorate significantly as she eats and drinks so little while sitting.

Can I use a broody hen to hatch eggs?

Absolutely — a broody hen is a wonderful natural incubator. If you have fertilised eggs (from a cockerel or purchased from a breeder), a broody hen will sit on them for 21 days and hatch them naturally. She will then raise the chicks herself — one of the most rewarding things you can witness in a garden.

You will need a separate broody coop to keep her and her chicks safe and away from the rest of the flock https://vysearks.com/collections/broody-coops