How to tell if she really is broody?

[Guest]

  my question here is how does one know that a hen really is broody, and not just spending an hour in the nest waiting to lay?
  I only have 1 incubator and one (bathtub) brooder, and we will be getting our meat turkeys soon, then a couple sets of hatching eggs, and so my current batch of eggs in the \'bator are it for a while.  
  I hate to waste eggs in a nest that are never going to get a \'commitment\' from the hen, but I don\'t want to pull out eggs if the hen might decide to eventually park on them!  
  How do you guys tell if she is serious about maybe setting a clutch?  is there more than just seeing her often in the nestbox?  

thanks!

[Guest]

My girls are great broodies.  Just suggest it to one of them, and they will comply.  I put four goose eggs in a nest.  I now have a broody hen..... if she\'s serious, she will let you know....mainly by hurting you if you try to touch her eggs.  Mine will also screech like banshees.
  Most times, if they\'re just laying, they\'ll make some noise and scoot out of the nest.  If they are setting, dynamite won\'t blow them off the nest....and they will protect their eggs.  Good luck!!

[Guest]

Ditto on what Angela says.  4 or 5 of my girls will peck the back of my hand and wrist as I check for eggs.  The others just jump and run.

[Blue Egg Acres]

When mine are broody, they will fluff up and fan out their tails when you disturb them on the nest and if set on the ground they will usually stay in a \"setting\" position.

[Mike Gilbert]

Here is the acid test.   When they are broody, they will stay on the nest overnight.   Until then, they are just \"thinking about it.\"   I would give them two or three days (and nights) on the nest before entrusting them with valuable eggs.

[Guest]

Here is the acid test.   When they are broody, they will stay on the nest overnight.   Until then, they are just \"thinking about it.\"   I would give them two or three days (and nights) on the nest before entrusting them with valuable eggs.

so if they\'re broody they\'ll sit in the nest even if there\'s no eggs in it?

[John]

so if they\'re broody they\'ll sit in the nest even if there\'s no eggs in it?

You betcha they will.