Broody Hen?

[Gigi_The_Chicken]

This is Nutmeg. She has been laying for less than a year, but we think she’s broody. She’s been sitting in a nest box for two days, but there aren’t any eggs underneath her. We’ve tried to get her out, but she refuses to move. Is she broody?

 

[SilverBirds]

Appears to be.

Do you want her to hatch chicks? If not you'll need to break her. This can be
done by putting her in a dog kennel or small pen with only food, water, and a perch. Leave her there for about 24-48 hours.

 

[My Bagurks]

Does she screech at you if you go near her? And check her belly ,if she allows it. Hens will pull the feathers from their bellies so they skin touches the eggs. I do you have fertilized eggs she could hatch?

 

[Artichoke Lover]

Is she sleeping on the nest at night? Does she react if you try to remove her or check under her from eggs? Have you seen her off the nest at all? If so does she stay puffed up and or make a sort of ticking noise?
She’s definitely old enough to go broody. Some hens go broody almost as soon as they start laying. I’ve currently got a hen that’s barely a year old that just hatched her first batch of chicks.

 

[Gigi_The_Chicken]

I don’t currently have room for more chickens, so we couldn’t buy any fertile eggs for her to hatch. She screeches and puffs up when I get near her, but doesn’t peck me. I have seen her get up, but she doesn’t leave for more than 5 minutes at a time.

 

[4flock]

This seems to be happening to me right now. Is there something I’m supposed to do?
I thought maybe she was backed up or had a double yolk egg that was being to stubborn to pass. My wife commented that yesterday she was in the box for the whole day. Even when it was treat time she didn’t leave the coop. (Mind you we do not watch the birds 24/7 and do not have cameras. However we can see their pen from our kitchen window so we noticed whose out and about periodically through the day.)
In the morning I went to check and the other 3 girls came out for a bit while I tidied up their pen and coop. She laid on the eggs. Finally saw her exit for some water and went to go poke around to see if the stubborn egg dropped but it was bc another chicken kicked her out, lol. So I did not have time to check again before work. Its 11pm now and I went to go check the egg situation and she scared the piss outa me when I reached in for eggs and touched her instead.
She’s cooing a bit, if that’s the right word. A throaty something kind of noise. Not a cluck. She lets me pet and stroke her. Seems puffy, like she is all stressed out.

Anyways- never seen my birds not on their shelf/roost at night. Thought maybe I should double check if someone with a bit more experience could point me in the right direction. She’s 13 months, full grown bird. Been laying since early October last year.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Broody jail: Put her in an isolation cage with some food and water, in sight of the others (in the coop if it's not too hot or in/near the run is ideal). A wire cage elevated to air flow under her would be the best option, however I've used everything from a brooder to a dog exercise pen.

Keep her in the cage around the clock for about 2 days. At that time, if she's shows fewer signs of broodiness (puffing up, flattening down and growling, tik tik tik noise) you can let her out to test her. If she runs back to the nest at any point (usually they don't do it immediately, but maybe after 15 minutes, maybe an hour) then she's not yet sufficiently broken and needs to go back to the cage for another 24 hours. Then let her out and test her again. Repeat until she's no longer going to the nest box.

IF the isolation cage is not safe for overnight stay (i.e. sits outside the run, run not predator proof) then put her on the roost at night, and retrieve her from the nest box the next morning and put her back in the cage. It may take a little longer this way but better than letting a predator get to her.

 

[4flock]

Broody jail: Put her in an isolation cage with some food and water, in sight of the others (in the coop if it's not too hot or in/near the run is ideal). A wire cage elevated to air flow under her would be the best option, however I've used everything from a brooder to a dog exercise pen.

Keep her in the cage around the clock for about 2 days. At that time, if she's shows fewer signs of broodiness (puffing up, flattening down and growling, tik tik tik noise) you can let her out to test her. If she runs back to the nest at any point (usually they don't do it immediately, but maybe after 15 minutes, maybe an hour) then she's not yet sufficiently broken and needs to go back to the cage for another 24 hours. Then let her out and test her again. Repeat until she's no longer going to the nest box.

IF the isolation cage is not safe for overnight stay (i.e. sits outside the run, run not predator proof) then put her on the roost at night, and retrieve her from the nest box the next morning and put her back in the cage. It may take a little longer this way but better than letting a predator get to her.

Thank you