Broody hen, actually pullet???

[Sheltiepawz]

My pullets are 28 weeks old now. One of my barred rocks has been staying in the nest box for a long time each day, around 3-5 hours for the last week. Today she went to lay Around 3 this afternoon and does not want to leave the nest box. She did lay her egg we believe. Currently she is in the nest box and did not go to roost. I have removed her twice, but she just went right back to nest box, even in the dark. She has also been very cranky with the pullets that are 7 weeks younger than her for the past 1/1/2 weeks. She has been laying egss for around 5 weeks. Help!

No rooster, and we do not want more chicks right now.

 

[sourland]

It's unusual, but it does happen. If she is indeed broody, this will probably remain as her pattern for the rest of her life. Sometimes allowing them to raise/foster a brood of chicks increases the period between broody spells.

 

[Sheltiepawz]

It's unusual, but it does happen. If she is indeed broody, this will probably remain as her pattern for the rest of her life. Sometimes allowing them to raise/foster a brood of chicks increases the period between broody spells.

What do you mean by pattern for rest of her life? Same time each year or that she will go broody often like every 5 weeks. Please no!!!
I thought barred rocks weren’t supposed to be very broody, plus she is a hatchery chick. Just our luck.

 

[sourland]

Some hens just have the 'super mom' instinct. I have had some brood and raise as many as 5 clutches of chicks in a year. Although there are breed generalizations there are some times individuals that do not conform. If that becomes her pattern, there are always folks looking for broody hens.

 

[Sheltiepawz]

Some hens just have the 'super mom' instinct. I have had some brood and raise as many as 5 clutches of chicks in a year. Although there are breed generalizations there are some times individuals that do not conform. If that becomes her pattern, there are always folks looking for broody hens.

I hope she is not a super mom. We are all very attached to mayflower.

 

[Sheltiepawz]

Well, still in the nest box this morning. I removed her. She stayed out about 20 minutes then she went right back.
Drug the dog crate out and she is in it with food and water, in the run. Have not had time to elevate or get a wire bottom yet. She is not laying down though.

 

[aart]

Well, still in the nest box this morning. I removed her. She stayed out about 20 minutes then she went right back.
Drug the dog crate out and she is in it with food and water, in the run. Have not had time to elevate or get a wire bottom yet. She is not laying down though.

Get that crate ready.

I've found pullets easier to break tho, sometimes by just tossing them out of the nest several times a day.

These are my got-to signs:
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?
Are there feathers in the nest, and missing from her breast/belly?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Drug the dog crate out and she is in it with food and water, in the run. Have not had time to elevate or get a wire bottom yet. She is not laying down though.

Might be fine without the wire bottom/elevation. Just keep an eye on her, If she's cranky and pacing, at least she's not setting.

I just toss my broodies in a doggie exercise pen with food and water and after about 3 days of that they'll break.

 

[Clearwater Chicken]

sounds like she is broody as unless the don't know what a roost is chickens don't stay n the nest boxes after night.

 

[Cryss]

Don’t put bedding in the dog cage. If you slide the tray out it already has a wire floor. That is a wider wire so you might want to turn it upside down cuz the top is a smaller wire holes making it easier to walk. Pop a brick under each corner.