Bird in nesting box at nightfall

[sharonieoh]

One of my four almost-year-old hens was in the nesting box just now (twilight) when I went to shut them in for the night. This is highly unusual behavior for her -- she's always down with the others at this time, eagerly waiting for scratch.

She looked alert, but quite puffed up in the nesting box. I had noticed she was up there earlier today, later than she usually lays -- she did come down at some point, and then went back up to the box. Is this a sign that she may be eggbound?

Thanks for any advice or opinions you can pass along.

Sharon

 

[Cassandra Lana]

She may be broooooody

 

[sharonieoh]

She may be broooooody

Ohhhhhh ... thank you! I did notice a lot of warm eggs the other day after she had been in the nesting box for a while. Any suggestions? And any way to tell it apart from egg bound?

 

[sharonieoh]

She may be broooooody

Okay, and now that I've done some googling... bingo!!! She's been pulling feathers from her chest and the eggs have been suspiciously warm every time I collect them. Like, all the eggs.

No rooster, though, so she could be sitting on them a looooong time. Do I just let her? Or should I intervene somehow?

 

[Cassandra Lana]

I would pull her from the box and take her far away from the box every morning . and collect eggs more often

 

[Sally PB]

Here's a thread with a great post about breaking broody hens from @aart;

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-to-break-a-broody.1424103/#post-23422847

Good luck!

 

[Mamatomany123]

Okay, and now that I've done some googling... bingo!!! She's been pulling feathers from her chest and the eggs have been suspiciously warm every time I collect them. Like, all the eggs.

No rooster, though, so she could be sitting on them a looooong time. Do I just let her? Or should I intervene somehow?

You'll need to break her unless you plan on giving her fertile eggs to break her I would put a wire dog crate on some bricks to lift it off of the ground and place her in it. She needs air flow to the belly. Leave her there s fee days. Once you remove her if she joins the flock then shes good but if she returns to the nesting box then back to the dog crate.

 

[sharonieoh]

Here's a thread with a great post about breaking broody hens from @aart;

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-to-break-a-broody.1424103/#post-23422847

Good luck!

Thanks Sally!

 

[sharonieoh]

You'll need to break her unless you plan on giving her fertile eggs to break her I would put a wire dog crate on some bricks to lift it off of the ground and place her in it. She needs air flow to the belly. Leave her there s fee days. Once you remove her if she joins the flock then shes good but if she returns to the nesting box then back to the dog crate.

Thanks!