Broody or Egg bound???

[CoyoteMagic]

Ok, I have never had a chicken be either broody or egg bound so I don't know what I am looking for.

One of my red sexies has been setting in the nest box since my DH went out to gather eggs around noon. We don't gather eggs everyday so I'm not sure how long she has been in the box. I know she wasn't there on Saturday.

She isn't showing any signs of distress. No huffing, puffing, straining or anything like that. Alert. Watched as we changed the water, filled up feeder and spread DE. However, she didn't even flinch when I threw a handfull of scratch on top the DE (I let my chickens do the hard work of turning the litter) The others were going nuts in the run where I had spread some too.

If she has gone broody, what do I do to bring her out of it? I don't have a roo. Heck I only have 2 nest boxes for the 10 of them. (it's the only place they will lay) I don't need any baby chicks. 10 chickens are more than enough for me right now.

If she is egg bound what do I do?


Help!

 

[Judy]

Sounds like she is broody. You can just take her out and close off the box for a day or so and see what happens. But if she is determined, you need a wire cage. Put her in the cage for a few days with food and water, but no nesting materials or litter at all. Set the cage off the ground, like on concrete blocks, so there is good air flow underneath her. The air flow will cool her bottom and hopefully stop the hormone cycle that is making her broody.

An eggbound hen will look sick. Simply staying in the nest is more a sign of broodiness, not what one usually sees if one is sick.

 

[CoyoteMagic]

I went out this afternoon and she was still there. She pecked at me but I snatched her up and pulled her out of the box. (think plastic tote with a hole cut in it) Wasn't pretty!! Tossed her out into the yard. Boy did she flip a fit!!

I pulled the nest box out, got 38 eggs out of it! (4days worth!! out of 10 chickens) I've kept the box out for the last couple of hours. Going to put it back in after they all go roost for the night. Hopefully that will break her of it.