Broody Hen or ?

[MLGARDEN]

I have a Buff Orpington that is about 1 yr old and has recently decided that being in the nesting box is her favorite place. Unless I push her out she will stay in there all day. I will push her out to eat and then back she goes. I checked for stuck egss but she appears fine. Can I assume she is just being broody and at some point will start to lay eggs again.
Mike

 

[Laurelm]

She is broody. It is a natural state. She will get out on her own and feed, water and go to bathroom daily. Broodiness can last a couple months. You might want to give her some fertile eggs to hatch or just wait it out and she will start to lay again in 2 to 3 months.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

She is most likely broody. Broody hens tend to puff their feathers and make a cooing sound when they are touched or picked up. During the brief time that she is forced out of the nest box watch her behavior, her clucking sounds might be a little different, but she should eat and drink and walk like normal. If in doubt, you can feel her belly for any hard spots that feel like and egg inside and check her vent area. If her vent is kind of pulsing it could mean she is trying to lay an egg, especially if she is walking around like she feels uncomfortable.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

She is broody. It is a natural state. She will get out on her own and feed, water and go to bathroom daily. Broodiness can last a couple months. You might want to give her some fertile eggs to hatch or just wait it out and she will start to lay again in 2 to 3 months.

My Buff Orpingtons usually only stayed broody for about a month. I did encourage them at least once a day to get off the nest to eat and drink. Although they would do it on their own, they might not eat as much as usual.

 

[Laurelm]

My Buff Orpingtons usually only stayed broody for about a month. I did encourage them at least once a day to get off the nest to eat and drink.  Although they would do it on their own, they might not eat as much as usual.

I just had a lavender Orpington stay broody for two months. Every chicken is different. Being broody is perfectly natural and I don't discourage it as it what their body is telling them to do.

If people don't want hens to go broody then they need to buy breeds that rarely go broody such as a Rhode Island Red or a leghorn. Although I had a leghorn hatch 10 chicks so you never know!

 

[scratch'n'peck]

I just had a lavender Orpington stay broody for two months. Every chicken is different. Being broody is perfectly natural and I don't discourage it as it what their body is telling them to do.

If people don't want hens to go broody then they need to buy breeds that rarely go broody such as a Rhode Island Red or a leghorn. Although I had a leghorn hatch 10 chicks so you never know!

Yep, I let my broody hens stay broody as long as they wanted, too. I have read about some broody hens who started loosing weight after a while, but I never noticed that with my hens.

 

[MLGARDEN]

Thanks for the quick replies.
Yes she does fluff up her feathers after I nudge her our of the box. She eats just fine and moves around outside the pen easily. Just making sure she was not sick. New to this. Ok with a broody hen. Thanks for the help