Chicken brooding?

[aztecwoman]

Hi everyone. ...nice to be here with you all! We have three hens..raised together. ..however one of them wont come out of the laying box. She seems healthy.....and she is laying. ..daily...its been a week and 1/2 since its been happening. ..what do you think?

 

[Michael OShay]

Welcome to BYC! It sounds like you have a broody hen. If so, she'll continue laying until she feels she has the maximum number of eggs under her that she can incubate. Good luck with the brood.

 

[Frindizzle]

from Washington! In our flock we have great people and it is always great to have a new member In our flock, we have no pecking order!

By the way, not saying that you will do anything bad, but no fowl play

Congrats, you have a broody hen!

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC! There are some good articles on broody hens in the Learning Center you might like to check out. https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/hatching-eggs-and-raising-chicks Generally hens that are actually broody (staying in the nest pretty much full time trying to hatch eggs) will not keep laying eggs, however other hens will lay eggs in their nest.

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

Yes, sounds like she is broody! If you have a rooster, you can let her incubate some eggs. If no rooster, you can either try to break her, (not that easy) or just let her run her course. I like to get broodies out of the nest box several times a day that are not actually incubating eggs as they tend to not eat or drink enough while broody since they are on the eggs all day long.

Good luck with your broody and welcome to our flock!

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.

Yes, you have a broody. Like Two Crows said, if you have no rooster then there is no reason for her to be sitting on eggs. (Unless you buy her some fertile ones.) Some of the best ways to break her include: putting a frozen water bottle under her, continually taking her out of the nest, blocking off the nest, giving her a cold bath, removing all eggs or putting her in a cage with nothing to sit on.

Here's some links too.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/encouraging-or-discouraging-broodiness-in-your-hens
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/broody-hens
https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center
Good luck!

 

[drumstick diva]

Yes, if her eggs are infertile (no rooster around) get some fertile eggs of any breed you want and swap eggs with her. She will raise any chicks as her own.

 

[gander007]

How is your broody hen doing ??????