Curious behavior

[Sgrrt]

I have a Buff Orpington that tends to stay in the nesting box a good portion of the day and night. Why is she doing that? I take her out of the box to try and get her with the other birds but she stays with them for a little eats some and then back in the nesting box. She is eatting fine and looks good. Just seems strange to me she wants to be there. Instead of free roaming. By the way I have had her for several months now and she lays eggs everyday and seems to be happy. This is a new behavior.

 

[Eggscaping]

Have you considered that she's broody? BOs are known for that. Maybe she is desiring a family?

 

[CluckNDoodle]

It sounds like she may be considering going broody. You may find that she starts to puff up and "growl" at you when you go to move her, sounds a bit like a velociraptor. They also tend to pancake down in the nest box to better warm the eggs. She will stop laying once she's committed to being broody.

 

[CindyinSD]

Buff Orps are one of the breeds that will not infrequently go broody. Is she sitting on an egg or fake egg? Do you know how old she is? Can you see a bare patch on her breast? They'll usually pluck out breast feathers for that skin-to egg contact--better warming that way. Do you have a rooster?

 

[Sgrrt]

Buff Orps are one of the breeds that will not infrequently go broody. Is she sitting on an egg or fake egg? Do you know how old she is? Can you see a bare patch on her breast? They'll usually pluck out breast feathers for that skin-to egg contact--better warming that way. Do you have a rooster?

She sits on both at times. I do not know how old she is. I will look tomorrow to see if she has a bald spot on her chest. I do not have a rooster.

 

[aart]

Here are my go-to signs for broody or not....
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?
Are there feathers in the nest, and missing from her breast/belly?
If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.

 

[Sgrrt]

Here are my go-to signs for broody or not....
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?
Are there feathers in the nest, and missing from her breast/belly?
If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.

All of the above! I will be separating her from the rest of the flock and put into her own house without a nesting box and just give her food and water and leave her in there alone for a few days . After a few days I will take her out of her haha hen jail and see what she does. If she continues the behavior then I will put her back in hen jail for a few more days then try her free ranging again . After that, hmm, anyone have good recipes?

 

[IamRainey]

You didn't say if you have a roo. If she's ready to be a Mama Hen that could be pretty wonderful!

 

[Henry&Friends]

All of the above! I will be separating her from the rest of the flock and put into her own house without a nesting box and just give her food and water and leave her in there alone for a few days . After a few days I will take her out of her haha hen jail and see what she does. If she continues the behavior then I will put her back in hen jail for a few more days then try her free ranging again . After that, hmm, anyone have good recipes?

I wouldn’t put her in hen jail, I would put her in a broody buster. Basically, a broody buster is a hen jail with a raised, highly ventilated floor (like wire) to keep her bottom cool and break her broody hormones.

 

[aart]

You didn't say if you have a roo.

I do not have a rooster.

Basically, a broody buster is a hen jail with a raised, highly ventilated floor (like wire) to keep her bottom cool and break her broody hormones.

Yes!

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.