Broody or sick?

[Harmoni]

She's about 8 months old. She spent a few hours in the nest box this morning, no egg. Then, egg this afternoon. I know Broody hens don't lay but do they lay right before full broodiness kicks in? She was back in the box in the later afternoon and then tonight, back in the box. I honestly thought she was dead. She was like in a trance. I tried to pick her up but she was like dead weight and took a lot of work to get her out and roosted.
Broody or should I be concerned?
Also, we recently added 4 chicks to our flock (they are now visible but seperate), could that be a factor?

 

[Yardmom]

Yes a hen will still lay in the first stages of broodiness. The trance sounds like a broody as well.

 

[Harmoni]

Yes a hen will still lay in the first stages of broodiness. The trance sounds like a broody as well.

Thanks! What's the best way to deal with this? I read something about cold baths lol.

 

[Chikibabymom]

She's about 8 months old. She spent a few hours in the nest box this morning, no egg. Then, egg this afternoon. I know Broody hens don't lay but do they lay right before full broodiness kicks in? She was back in the box in the later afternoon and then tonight, back in the box. I honestly thought she was dead. She was like in a trance. I tried to pick her up but she was like dead weight and took a lot of work to get her out and roosted.
Broody or should I be concerned?
Also, we recently added 4 chicks to our flock (they are now visible but seperate), could that be a factor?

From what you’ve described she seems to just be in the early stages of being broody, is she eating and drinking normally? My chicken will usually start to gradually spend more time in the nesting box and less time in the run until she stops laying and is just broody. If I were you I wouldn’t really worry.

 

[Harmoni]

From what you’ve described she seems to just be in the early stages of being broody, is she eating and drinking normally? My chicken will usually start to gradually spend more time in the nesting box and less time in the run until she stops laying and is just broody. If I were you I wouldn’t really worry.

I'm pretty sure she is still eating and drinking. She is the more skiddish of the 2 rirs that I have. I will pay closer attention tomorrow.

 

[Yardmom]

Start by picking eggs often. If she continues to sit day and night a broody breaking cage.

 

[Harmoni]

Start by picking eggs often. If she continues to sit day and night a broody breaking cage.

Should I take the fake eggs out too?

 

[Chookchicken]

A broody cage is often recommended. I don’t know to much about it (as I have never done it myself) but I know a lot of people have.

I read something about cold baths lol.

I think it’s cruel to make your hens go in cold water, it can cause shook which can often kill chickens. its not summer either meaning she’ll have a harder time warming up. You can use cold (not freezing) water as a way to cool your chickens down in summer by only putting their feet in the water, and if their really hot drizzling some on their backs, but never submerging their whole body’s.

 

[Chikibabymom]

You can start off by closing the coop/ restricting access to the nesting boxes once everyone has laid their egg so she’s forced to be in the run. If she still heads straight for the coop once it’s open again, you can put her in broody jail for a few days (be warned that she might be voicing her complaints very loudly while she’s in it )

 

[NatJ]

Thanks! What's the best way to deal with this? I read something about cold baths lol.

A broody breaking cage: wire cage or crate, including wire floor. Food, water, and you can also include a board to roost on if you want. But no solid floor, no eggs, no nest, no material to make a nest.

She will probably pace back and forth, trying frantically to get back to her nest.
She may lay an egg (or more than one) while she is in there. Just collect each egg when you find it, and don't worry about it.
In about three days, try letting her out in the evening. If she goes to roost like normal, she's probably done being broody. If she tries to go back to the nest and sit, she probably needs another day or more in the cage.

Or you can set up a safe pen WITH a nest and some fake eggs, and move the broody there. She might sit in the new place, and you can give her eggs to hatch, or wait a few weeks and give her chicks to adopt. Or she might pace back and forth trying to get back to her old nest. A few days of pacing will break her broodiness just as well as the wire crate would