Broody hen I think?

[Claraandco]

We have recently purchased our first four hens and they have been happy, healthy and started laying almost immediately (Go girls!!!). For the past 3 days one of them has gone dark. She’s sitting in the nesting boxes, gets cranky if we go near her but when I have brought her out regardless to get some food and water, she sits hunched over (head down and tail up) for a bit and then finally gets up as if nothing has happened and starts pecking away at the food. If another hen comes near her, she puffs up like a turkey but otherwise she keeps clucking like a clock the whole time. Unless I take her out to get her to eat, she just sits in the nesting box all day, not necessarily on eggs as we do remove them each day (and we are getting less eggs so there is a good chance she isn’t laying now). If I take her out, within 10 minutes she heads back inside. From what I can see, that means she’s broody?
What does that mean and what should I do? Will she just get over it and move on or is there something we should be doing? Is taking her off the nest for food the right thing to do? I haven’t seen her drink any water but have been dripping it onto her beak and she is then swallowing it.
I never knew having chickens would be so complex

 

[rosemarythyme]

Sounds broody, the definite test is does she stay on the nest at night instead of going to roost?

Your main options are letting her sit on fertile eggs or tucking chicks under her at the end of incubation period, or breaking her https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/broody-breaking-ala-aart.77915/ if you don't want chicks right now.

 

[Claraandco]

Thanks so much for your reply @rosemarythyme. Yes she sits in the nesting boxes whilst the other girls roost. For the past two days we have been letting them all out to free range and keeping the coop door closed. She has been fine whilst she is out so at least is eating well but she will head back and try to get in. When we let her back in at dusk, she goes back to nesting. If we continue this, will she eventually snap out of it or do we need to intervene?

 

[sakerobot]

If there aren't any fertile eggs, it's better to intervene and have the hen snap out of it. Letting her stay broody is costly on her body, due to the eating and drinking once a day that they'll do. She might keep doing that for weeks, so it's generally advised to break hens that are going broody without viable eggs.

 

[Rick589]

Agreed, a few fertile eggs or breaking her. I’ve always understood that placing new chicks under her is iffy and would need to be done when the chicks are just a day or two old.

 

[Mrs. K]

Nothing is more fun that a broody hen with chicks. I have never broken one, I always cave and give her either chicks or fertile eggs.

Don't hatch if you could not butcher a bird - as 50% at least will be roos.

However, if that is the case, and you can get some sex linked chicks, I have never had a failure of a hen accepting chicks if they have been broody for 2 weeks and the chicks 1-2 days old. You could add only 2-3 chicks.

Thing is, I believe that a healthy flock has multiple generations in it. Then they don't all get old at the same time. I add chicks each year, and subtract birds too.

If you don't have space for a bigger flock, then sell one or two of the laying hens, or sell the chicks at 5-6 weeks.

However, the prudent thing is to probably break her, but really that is not much fun! haha

Mrs K

 

[Rick589]

Today, day 18, checked our broody and found one of the four eggs shes been sitting had cracked open . Peep almost made it to the end….a little sad for me. Hopeful the remaining three will make these last few days.