Chicken staying in nesting box but not laying

[JessRae]

Never heard taht one. The bare patch is to increase skin contact to keep the eggs warm for hatching.
Sounds broody to me....these are my go-to signs:
Is she on nest most the day and all night?
When you pull her out of nest and put her on the ground, does she flatten right back out into a fluffy screeching pancake?
Does she walk around making a low cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck(ticking bomb) sound on her way back to the nest?
If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.

If you want her to hatch, you'll have to do some managing.....like giving her all fresh eggs on the same and mark them so you can remove any others laid by other birds.

I’m not sure if she stays in the nest all night but I do know the last 2 days as I’ve gone in and out of the run she was in the nesting box. When I moved her today she flattened right back out and low waddled back to the nesting box once I removed the eggs. I noticed she picks up items from around the nesting box and puts them in it like leaves and bedding. I didn’t hear any noise from her today but did notice her bare chest. Hubby suggested putting x’s on the eggs she lays and letting her keep them. I took treats out yesterday and normally she’s the first one to me but she didn’t want anything to do with it. Oh and I also noticed what seemed to me like a shiver, I’m positive it’s not bc she’s cold but could she be doing that out of annoyance or me being too close to the eggs?

 

[kiwi-chick]

I have two black sex links that went broody half way through spring, I broke them both at the same time. it took about 10 days before they started laying again then 2 weeks later they were broody again. This time I tried breaking them - and they would not break. I gave in and have given them two eggs each to hatch, Another week should see me with an extra 4 chickens... Sigh... not what I wanted but they would not break from the broodiness the 2nd time around.

 

[JessRae]

I have two black sex links that went broody half way through spring, I broke them both at the same time. it took about 10 days before they started laying again then 2 weeks later they were broody again. This time I tried breaking them - and they would not break. I gave in and have given them two eggs each to hatch, Another week should see me with an extra 4 chickens... Sigh... not what I wanted but they would not break from the broodiness the 2nd time around.

I checked tonight and she did not lay nor did 2 of my other hens. I marked an X on the 2 eggs she was laying on even though they weren’t hers and start my countdown. I don’t really want 2 more but shes pretty adamant about this brooding. First year of having chickens so I’m still learning.

 

[aart]

I don’t really want 2 more but shes pretty adamant about this brooding. First year of having chickens so I’m still learning.

You can break their broodiness....maybe you missed this earlier post in this thread?

If you don't want her to hatch out chicks, best to break her broodiness promptly.

My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest (or as soon as I know they are broody), I put her in a wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop or run with feed and water.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.

Chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor after pic was taken.

 

[kiwi-chick]

You can break their broodiness....

after a week in the broody cage (that was the second (2nd) time this summer in the cage)- which I left outside day and night, while letting them out for a run each day once or twice - they were still not broken - so I gave in and let them brood.....

 

[aart]

after a week in the broody cage (that was the second (2nd) time this summer in the cage)- which I left outside day and night, while letting them out for a run each day once or twice - they were still not broken - so I gave in and let them brood.....

Yeah, I've had one that wouldn't break....
....but my post that you quoted was for @JessRae

 

[kiwi-chick]

I take your point

but - I am sure that more people than just the original poster are reading and taking notes...as I am.

 

[Hensinarow]

Hey! We have a red ranger in our flock of ladies who routinely becomes broody, usually after a predator visits the area (snakes, hawks, eagles, foxes). We broke her broodiness a few times but it keeps coming back. One time we just carried her in our arms throughout the day near the flock and it helped break her. Because the hawks are so bad in our area (and we don’t have a rooster, a guard goose, or a dog), a broody hen is a great defense in this regard. She fights off hawks and other predators. Of course, if she were malnourished or mean to other girls, we would break her using dog crate etc but we let her do her thing and she’s been fine.
She’s our little brood pine cone, hope this helps.