Chicken is doesn't want to leave nesting box and seems sick!

[Wyorp Rock]

Thanks everyone for the swift replies!

I am in Queensland, Australia.

It's good to hear that it is likely just broody. I guess then the only thing that confuses me is why she fluffs her feathers for a while and makes a weird noise (like she is uncomfortable) after I take her out of the coop. Is this just because she is cleaning herself and doesn't want to be out of the nesting box?

Thanks again for the replies.

They do have a rooster but no source of fertile eggs.

She's just fussing about like broody hens do when they are off the nest.
Sounds like she's o.k., if you don't want her hatching eggs, then break her broodiness.

Does the rooster live with the hens? If he does, then he's likely mating them and you do have fertile eggs.

 

[Karlkurla Chooks]

For the last week one of the chickens from the 3 who grew up together hasn't been leaving the nesting box during day or night. To feed her I forcibly pick her up and place her next to the food so that she can eat and drink, after which she will stand up and walk around for 5 minutes then return to the box. Whenever I or another chicken goes close to her she will make noises and fluff her feathers. There aren't many details except that she hasn't got any feathers on her belly, and that she is the heaviest chicken weighing 2.6 kg.

I bolded and underlined the crucial parts. Those parts and the photos of her pancaking herself with that cute grumpy look in her eye - she is a BROODY MAMA!


Nothing wrong with her! She will leave the nest when she needs to, for eating, drinking, dust-bathing, and relieving herself. There is no need to pick her up against her will. Prior to going broody, she would have eaten extra food to build up her fat stores. She was already prepared.

 

[Karlkurla Chooks]

It's good to hear that it is likely just broody. I guess then the only thing that confuses me is why she fluffs her feathers for a while and makes a weird noise (like she is uncomfortable) after I take her out of the coop. Is this just because she is cleaning herself and doesn't want to be out of the nesting box?

Yes she is just cranky at you and everyone else!



Incubation Behaviour, nicknamed "broody", is due to a rise in the hormone prolactin. Warm weather can cause it, or any lots of triggers. Basically the hormone causes a hen to incubate a clutch of eggs so she can raise some chicks. She won't stop until she can feel the eggs hatching, or senses that a newly hatched chick is there.


You have three choices:

• Make sure she sits on fertile eggs (if you have a rooster, then it is a good chance they are fertilised)
• Place newly hatched chicks underneath her on the eve of the 21st day of her being broody, so she can adopt them as her own. This is a very tight time window, as she will reject other chicks that are over one week old.
• Isolate her in a wire dog crate placed on bricks, with food and water, and a piece of wood to perch on, in an open area. This is to allow cool air to allow her belly to cool down, which helps the prolactin level to decrease and therefore stop the broodiness.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

This thread was from back in January. @JamiesonC , did your hen hatch eggs for you or did you break her broodiness?

 

[JamiesonC]

This thread was from back in January. @JamiesonC , did your hen hatch eggs for you or did you break her broodiness?

Since they don't have a rooster I knew that the eggs weren't fertile, so after reading advice I decided to limit her access to the nesting boxes. It only took a couple of days for her to stop being broody and get back to normal.

It's been a few months and I am surprised that my other chickens haven't gone through similar brooding habits.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Since they don't have a rooster I knew that the eggs weren't fertile, so after reading advice I decided to limit her access to the nesting boxes. It only took a couple of days for her to stop being broody and get back to normal.

It's been a few months and I am surprised that my other chickens haven't gone through similar brooding habits.

Some breeds are broodier than others. Thanks for the update!