goldentheia
Hatching
- Nov 8, 2024
- 2
- 1
- 8
I'm trying to determine what's going on with one of my chickens. I'm pretty sure she's very broody (and just to note, we don't have a rooster in our flock, just hens), but I'm concerned something else might be going on as well. I've never had a broody hen before, so I'm not sure if all these symptoms fit with broodiness.
(Apologies, this will be long, but I want to put in any info that might be important.)
Two evenings ago, one of my chickens (7-month Buff Orpington) got up in the nesting boxes later in the day (about 4pm) than she normally does. She was still there at 6pm, which is pretty unusual for her because she's usually up running around at that time, but I didn't really think too much of it. I've been moving them into the garage during the night after a raccoon attack several weeks ago (it's temporary until all the security renovations are done on the coop), so after moving to her sisters, I gently moved her and set her up on a nice little nest with an egg. She immediately hopped off, however, and joined her sisters eating dinner. She seemed fine.
Next morning, still seemed fine, I let them out of the garage and brought them back to the coop. She immediately hopped back onto her same nest. I go out and check on them throughout the day and noticed that she was still there. I figured she must be having trouble laying her egg, so I sat an egg in front of her and she scooped it under her breast. I've noticed the chickens seem to prefer laying their eggs on a nest that already has an egg or two, so I hoped this might help her. But several hours later she was still there.
I noticed she was growling excessively (especially at her sisters), and although this isn't completely unusual when someone gets really close to one of the chickens while they're on the nest, it's usually more of a whine than a growl. She was fluffing her feathers a lot too. But I also noticed she was occasionally sitting with her beak open and her eyelids would sometimes droop a bit as if she was falling asleep. I've seen this before in some of the other chickens right before they lay their egg, almost like they go into a trance. But I've also heard that this can be a sign of a chicken feeling pain from being egg bound. When I'd offer her food, even food she normally LOVES, she wouldn't touch it.
So I gently scooped her up, set her up in the crate inside the house in my room. I did notice that when I picked her up, she had an extra egg under her, but whether she laid it or she had gotten up at some point and another chicken laid it, I don't know.
I examined her as much as I could when I brought her in. Her vent appeared normal, her pelvis width seemed normal. She is extremely fluffy, so it's hard to tell if she's bloated, but she doesn't look like it. I was trying to check her crop but she got very upset as soon as I touched anywhere near her neck, so I wasn't able to check much. Admittedly, I didn't know what an impacted crop would feel like anyway.
I left her alone in my room and went to get her a snack and water. When I got back, she seemed completely different again. She'd come out of the crate and was scratching around on my rug. I gave her a small slice of a tomato and she devoured it. She continued fluffing her feathers a lot and growling a bit but wanted to walk around, so I took her back out. I put her in the run with the other chickens and she scratched around for a bit, got some water, then got back on her nest. I was pretty sure she was just broody at this point, so I took all the eggs out. If she was ever alone with one of her sisters, she would start attacking them, but if she was with the whole flock, she seemed fine.
She did fine last night in the garage.
But this morning, it all started again. She's been on her nest since she went in at 7am and she'll sit for periods with her mouth open and her eyes slightly or fully closed. She only seems to do this when she feels like there aren't any threats (if I've been sitting next to her for awhile and all the other chickens are outside). She is still very conscious of her environment though and will become completely alert again if she hears me move or something else nearby.
I picked her up very gently and sat her out in the yard when her sisters were out running around. I was hoping she'd hop up and do the same because the few free range hours they have everyday is something she looks forward too. When I sat her down, she stayed in the same position as I held her, laid down in her nesting position, and she didn't move. Ten minutes went by and she still hadn't moved so I got ready to take her in again. When I got back out, she had gotten up and was completely fluffed up and battle charging her sisters and flapping her wings aggressively.
She has for sure not laid an egg today. We have 7 hens and we usually get 5 to 7 eggs each day so I know she lays an egg nearly everyday.
(Apologies, this will be long, but I want to put in any info that might be important.)
Two evenings ago, one of my chickens (7-month Buff Orpington) got up in the nesting boxes later in the day (about 4pm) than she normally does. She was still there at 6pm, which is pretty unusual for her because she's usually up running around at that time, but I didn't really think too much of it. I've been moving them into the garage during the night after a raccoon attack several weeks ago (it's temporary until all the security renovations are done on the coop), so after moving to her sisters, I gently moved her and set her up on a nice little nest with an egg. She immediately hopped off, however, and joined her sisters eating dinner. She seemed fine.
Next morning, still seemed fine, I let them out of the garage and brought them back to the coop. She immediately hopped back onto her same nest. I go out and check on them throughout the day and noticed that she was still there. I figured she must be having trouble laying her egg, so I sat an egg in front of her and she scooped it under her breast. I've noticed the chickens seem to prefer laying their eggs on a nest that already has an egg or two, so I hoped this might help her. But several hours later she was still there.
I noticed she was growling excessively (especially at her sisters), and although this isn't completely unusual when someone gets really close to one of the chickens while they're on the nest, it's usually more of a whine than a growl. She was fluffing her feathers a lot too. But I also noticed she was occasionally sitting with her beak open and her eyelids would sometimes droop a bit as if she was falling asleep. I've seen this before in some of the other chickens right before they lay their egg, almost like they go into a trance. But I've also heard that this can be a sign of a chicken feeling pain from being egg bound. When I'd offer her food, even food she normally LOVES, she wouldn't touch it.
So I gently scooped her up, set her up in the crate inside the house in my room. I did notice that when I picked her up, she had an extra egg under her, but whether she laid it or she had gotten up at some point and another chicken laid it, I don't know.
I examined her as much as I could when I brought her in. Her vent appeared normal, her pelvis width seemed normal. She is extremely fluffy, so it's hard to tell if she's bloated, but she doesn't look like it. I was trying to check her crop but she got very upset as soon as I touched anywhere near her neck, so I wasn't able to check much. Admittedly, I didn't know what an impacted crop would feel like anyway.
I left her alone in my room and went to get her a snack and water. When I got back, she seemed completely different again. She'd come out of the crate and was scratching around on my rug. I gave her a small slice of a tomato and she devoured it. She continued fluffing her feathers a lot and growling a bit but wanted to walk around, so I took her back out. I put her in the run with the other chickens and she scratched around for a bit, got some water, then got back on her nest. I was pretty sure she was just broody at this point, so I took all the eggs out. If she was ever alone with one of her sisters, she would start attacking them, but if she was with the whole flock, she seemed fine.
She did fine last night in the garage.
But this morning, it all started again. She's been on her nest since she went in at 7am and she'll sit for periods with her mouth open and her eyes slightly or fully closed. She only seems to do this when she feels like there aren't any threats (if I've been sitting next to her for awhile and all the other chickens are outside). She is still very conscious of her environment though and will become completely alert again if she hears me move or something else nearby.
I picked her up very gently and sat her out in the yard when her sisters were out running around. I was hoping she'd hop up and do the same because the few free range hours they have everyday is something she looks forward too. When I sat her down, she stayed in the same position as I held her, laid down in her nesting position, and she didn't move. Ten minutes went by and she still hadn't moved so I got ready to take her in again. When I got back out, she had gotten up and was completely fluffed up and battle charging her sisters and flapping her wings aggressively.
She has for sure not laid an egg today. We have 7 hens and we usually get 5 to 7 eggs each day so I know she lays an egg nearly everyday.
It really sounds like she is broody.
