does puffed up and clucking always mean broodiness?

I have a very fat little barnevelder who is all bristled up like a porcupine and clucking. She is acting really funny around the roosters, avoiding them more than usual. She did this last year as well but didn't ever sit. Are there other reasons they do this other than broodiness?

vic's chicks wrote:I have a very fat little barnevelder who is all bristled up like a porcupine and clucking. She is acting really funny around the roosters, avoiding them more than usual. She did this last year as well but didn't ever sit. Are there other reasons they do this other than broodiness?

Does she look like this?

Yep, that's broody all right! Watch your hands! My hens have drawn blood! Protect those eggs when they go under her as well!

Sometimes nonbroody breeds will act broody but not go all the way to set. Fluffing, cranky, all that stuff, but never actually sit long enough to hatch anything. Barnevelders are not noted for being broody, some do, but most don't.

coopslave wrote:Sometimes nonbroody breeds will act broody but not go all the way to set. Fluffing, cranky, all that stuff, but never actually sit long enough to hatch anything. Barnevelders are not noted for being broody, some do, but most don't.

Having silkies and Cochin this whole place is a broody nightmare, but you are right! I never put eggs under a hen unless she has been exhibiting this behaviour for at least a continuous week and she regularly tries to peck me when I get my hands near the 'chosen spot'.

I think that might be what happened last year. She gets all puffed up and grumpy but I never see her on a nest. Tonight there was another barney acting like that as well and I noticed another cross in the nest box. I think we are having a broody explosion. I wonder if its because there are chicks being hatched in the coop in the last two days. The whole flock seems more stirred up, roosters scrapping, hens scrapping everybody seems grumpy.