Broody hen no eggs?

[basketmom]

Will a broody hen lay no eggs? I have a hen that will not leave the nesting box (unless I pick her up and remove her) but is not laying on any eggs, and I do not think she has laid any. She has been this way for 3 days now and from what I read she might be broody. She stays in the nesting box day/night, and is a trance like state and she yells at me when I come near her

A few times a day I go in and fiscally remove her and put her in the outside run. She is acting normal (other than the nesting thing), she eats and walks around, and after a few minutes goes right back to the empty nest. I have checked her over and do not see anything wrong with her from what I can tell. She isn't breathing funny, etc.... So I guess to make a long story short, could she be broody even if she isn't laying on eggs?

 

[FLOWERPOT]

Yes, a hen will set when she goes broody even on no eggs.
I hate to see all that hard work for nothing, and most hens are such good mommas.
How about giving her a couple eggs to set on?

 

[basketmom]

Quote:
I don't really want to hatch eggs. I am so new to this that I am still learning as I go with the 11 that I have now

 

[Ridgerunner]

She is acting like a typical broody. Since it takes eggs about 21 days to hatch, a broody does not lay eggs once she goes broody. Different bad things would happen if she did. Other hens will continue to lay with her, however.

To break her from being broody, put her in a wire bottomed cage if you can. Give her food and water but make sure she does not have anything that looks like a nest. No litter or she will make a nest. The cool air on her undersides seems to help. Also, it is better if this cage is in the light or at least not in the dark. Keep her there about three days, sometimes it takes longer. If you cannot put her in a cage, just isolate her from her nest as best you can. It may take longer without the wire bottom.

I know someone will ask so I'll go ahead. Some of the bad things that could happen if a broody continued to lay or if other hen's eggs are allowed to be added to the nest once she starts being broody.

1. A staggered hatch. Since it takes about 21 days, later eggs would not hatch before the broody has to take her first hatched chicks off the nest to get food and water. You would wind up with several eggs that were developing then were left behind to die.

2. A broody is constantly moving and turning her eggs. If the number of eggs is allowed to build up to where the broody cannot cover them all, some will cool off and die. They will then get moved back under her and others will be moved where she cannot cover them so they will cool off and die. You usually get very poor hatches when the hen gets more eggs than she can handle.

So you see why stopping laying is another sign that she is broody.

 

[hangin'witthepeeps]

I am going through the same thing now. I have a persistent broody. I have tried everything except the wire cage. It's really cold here and I do not want to isolate her outside in a wire cage (which I have). Will she be too cold all by herself? It's ranging from 15 degrees at night and 40 during the day. Supposed to get some snow tonight. I have thought of putting her in the house in the bathroom, I have a brooder in there and just letting her hatch a few eggs. She's so sweet, I'll pick her up and pet her for a while then put her down. She will eat, drink, poop and then jump right back in the nest. I do this several times a day. I even put her on the roost at night and find her back in the box in the morning. Don't mean to hijack your thread but I figured you would have the same questions as I do and lets see what answers we get. TIA

 

[Ridgerunner]

My broody buster is inside my coop. It is protected from predators and is draft-free, although it has a wire bottom to cool her off.

If she is out of drafts, I'd expect her to be OK at 15 degrees F. If she has a single comb, you can put vaseline on it to help protect her against frostbite. I would be worried about drafts in a wirebottomed cage outside.

 

[hangin'witthepeeps]

Thanks Ridgerunner for your reply. My wire cage is up on "legs" about 3 feet off the ground. I could put it in my new coop, but she would be all by herself and I would not have enough light as it has no electric yet and the extension cord is being used to keep the waterer from freezing. I guess I could use my dog kennel and hang it up in the old coop. Poor broody Pepper, she's just too cute.

 

[basketmom]

hangin'witthepeeps :

I am going through the same thing now. I have a persistent broody. I have tried everything except the wire cage. It's really cold here and I do not want to isolate her outside in a wire cage (which I have). Will she be too cold all by herself? It's ranging from 15 degrees at night and 40 during the day. Supposed to get some snow tonight. I have thought of putting her in the house in the bathroom, I have a brooder in there and just letting her hatch a few eggs. She's so sweet, I'll pick her up and pet her for a while then put her down. She will eat, drink, poop and then jump right back in the nest. I do this several times a day. I even put her on the roost at night and find her back in the box in the morning. Don't mean to hijack your thread but I figured you would have the same questions as I do and lets see what answers we get. TIA

I feel the same way. I have a wire rabbit cage, but I do not have the room to put it in the coop or another heated or covered area. It's cold here too so I do not think I can do the cage thing. She is very gentle even though she yells at me when she sees me

She lets me pick her up and carry her anywhere, so I have just been taking her out every chance I get hopeing she will stop this soon.​

 

[basketmom]

Quote:
Ok, well I can't stand it anymore. I put an egg under her and we will see what happens. I don't know what I'm doing and I am not even sure if it will hatch, but I couldn't stand seeing her lay there day after day with no egg under her

Does anyone know a good link so I can read up on hatching eggs this way?

 

[mamakeith]

I have the same thing going on now with one of my hens, where can I find a fertilized egg and I cannot have roosters whee I live... so this would be a big gamble. How did yours come out?