Broody(?) but do not lay eggs

[Ted Brown]

I have two hens that spend most of their days sitting in two of my four nest boxes but rarely (never? ) lay eggs. This has been the case for several months.

Any thoughts on what is going on?

 

[sourland]

How old are they?

 

[Ted Brown]

They will be 4 in October.

They have an optimal coop/run situation (160 sq ft coop, 400sq ft run for currently 13 birds) and lead a pampered life - no extended lighting, 18% layer mash feed, side container of oyster shell, no mites/lice/etc., access to containers with ash/sand/sulphur mix + various holes in the run bedding with natural soil/gravel mix underneath.

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

Do they growl and generally hiss about being unhappy if you try to move or handle them? If you put them on the ground outside do they stay sitting there for awhile?

 

[Ted Brown]

Do they growl and generally hiss about being unhappy if you try to move or handle them? If you put them on the ground outside do they stay sitting there for awhile?

Yes, both make noises and peck at/bite my hands when I check for eggs. I have not moved them from the nests.

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

Yes they are broody.

 

[Ted Brown]

I figured that. How long will they remain in this state?

 

[Farmlife16]

I figured that. How long will they remain in this state?

Usually until they have babies, though sometimes they quit earlier. If you don't want to give them hatching eggs or chicks, I would break them. It is not healthy for them to be broody so long as they lose quite a bit of weight. I just had my first broody and she is now a happy mama of four chicks. If you're able to deal with chicks, then it might be fun to let them have some.

 

[aart]

Is she on nest most the day and all night?
When you pull her out of nest and put her on the ground, does she flatten right back out into a fluffy screeching pancake?
Does she walk around making a low cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck(ticking bomb) sound on her way back to the nest?
If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.

If you don't want her to hatch out chicks, IMO it's best to break her broodiness promptly.
My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest (or as soon as I know they are broody), I put her in a wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller wire(1x2) on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop or run with feed and water.

After 48 hours I let her out of crate very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate for another 48 hours.

Tho not necessary a chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor, gives the feet a break from the wire floor and encourages roosting.

 

[Ted Brown]

@aart

Today I moved the first of two broody hens into a small dog cage inside the coop, with 2 x 4 roost on the floor. I will follow your guidance above through to reintegration and then repeat with 2nd hen.

As always I appreciate your wisdom.