Hen not leaving nest box

[Rhcecil]

I have a buff who has been in the nest box pretty much all day. I just went out and checked on her and all the other hens are roosting and asleep. She is just sitting there. Usually when I mess with any of my hens in the nesting box they get mad and leave but she won’t. An she isn’t getting mad either. What all do you think it could be? Worries me. I know eggs can get stuck inside and wondered maybe that was it? Not sure how I would get it out. Or I heard maybe hurt foot and she can’t roost?

 

[sourland]

It sounds as if you have a broody hen.

 

[LikeTurkeys]

x2. Especially if she is a Buff Orpington.

 

[goldfishes]

Get a dog crate and put it in a safe area (we kept ours in our attached garage.) Put the bird in there with a little place to roost, water and food. At first she'll sit there on the roost hating you. But eventually, she will get off and become gentle, being interested in feed again. It takes 3-4 days, but it will break her broodiness. At first they aren't mean when they go broody. The first day or so they are okay. As time progresses, they get more hateful. You'll want to put on heavy gloves to move her if she is at that stage. She'll be mean getting her off those eggs. I had a girl go broody three times this summer. Worked every time. If she is sick, getting her out of the coop is also ideal.

 

[Frahm]

I have a buff who has been in the nest box pretty much all day. I just went out and checked on her and all the other hens are roosting and asleep. She is just sitting there. Usually when I mess with any of my hens in the nesting box they get mad and leave but she won’t. An she isn’t getting mad either. What all do you think it could be? Worries me. I know eggs can get stuck inside and wondered maybe that was it? Not sure how I would get it out. Or I heard maybe hurt foot and she can’t roost?

I agree,She's most likely Broody. Has she plucked out belly feathers? they do this in preparation to sit on eggs in my experience. I have 3 Buffs sussex, they are gentle giants. They do go broody sometimes. Removed her from that nest and isolate her in a place that she cant nest, I call this jail haha. I have and old wire dog crate. Leave her in there, No nesting material, with food water and cover for a day or two ( sometimes longer depending on the bird) and she will forget about nesting

 

[Rhcecil]

But what if there is no eggs under her? Does that mean she isn’t broody if there is no eggs?

 

[DobieLover]

But what if there is no eggs under her? Does that mean she isn’t broody if there is no eggs?

One of my broody hens sat on an empty nest after I collected the eggs.
You should remove her in the morning and watch her behavior.
Does she puff up and growl? Does she make a cluck-cluck-cluck ticking time bomb noise? Does she very single mindedly head back for the nest? These are all characteristics of a broody.

 

[Frahm]

But what if there is no eggs under her? Does that mean she isn’t broody if there is no eggs?

Yup often there is no eggs under her. Don't leave any eggs under her and don't leave any nesting material for her to hanker down into. It will only take a few days and she will be over it. It will take a while for her to come back onto the Lay.

 

[Ribh]

Yet another calling broody.

 

[WhyDoILikeChickens]

Sounds broody.
Or if u have a rooster and want to hatch some eggs you can put them under her and let her do her thing. Only some hens for a short period will be willing to incubate and raise chicks. When they are done it's over. You can either break her now or (if you have a rooster) raise chicks.