Broodiness

A broody hen wants to sit on a clutch of eggs and have them hatch — sitting all day and night with occasional trips for food and water.

Some hens are prone to broodiness. If catalogs say "do not set" or "not good setters" it means the breed is not usually broody

What to do with a broody hen?

• Nothing — just wait it out (usually a few days/weeks)
• Find fertile eggs for the hen to incubate and hatch out (watch out for roosters!)
• Try to "break" the broodiness:
  • confine the hen for a few days in a wire cage off the floor, in the light with food and water but no bedding
  • after a few days, let the hen out and watch her — if she goes back to the nesting box she's not "broken" yet — try again