Depressed Chicken?

[orchickmomma]

I'm trying to figure out one of my hens. I have a flock of 4 hens...used to be hens + 1 rooster. The rooster was cross-beaked and he was at the point that I had to feed him 4-5 times a day and still wasn't getting enough...was loosing weight...was attacking me and the hens because he was so hungry. We finally ended his misery on Saturday.

Our flock has a Silkie, Americana, Buff and a Buckeye. The rooster was a Buckeye. The two Buckeyes slept together.

Now my hen won't leave the nesting box. She fluffs up her back feather and "hisses" a song at me anytime I go near her. I've removed her three times and she just grumbles at me and goes back to the box. I'm worried she's depressed and won't eat. I put a small dish of cracked corn & pellets for her. She ate the corn. She hasn't moved since Saturday, unless I move her. She switches boxes after another hen lays an egg (she goes and lays on their egg).

Is she being broody...or is she depressed? Or is she like me and can't believe the rainy season has hit Oregon. (I put a tarp over their run so they had a dry place to hang out). And how do I get her to leave the coop?

This is my first time ever with chickens. They range from 2 years to 7 months.

 

[donrae]

Sounds like she's broody. Does she sleep on the nest? That's the key sign to me. If she is, you could let her hatch eggs if you think they're fertile, but you'd want to look into if that cross beak would be genetic, I really don't know. I'm sure you wouldn't want to go through that again!
Or, you can look for fertile eggs to put under her, or look around here for ways to break a broody. Basically, you need to confine her away from a nest box for several days.

 

[donrae]

Was thinking about the tarp over the run............we tried that also and lesson learned........you need to have it slanted or some way for the water to run off. We didn't think of that and the weight of the water broke the 2x4 rails we had stapled the tarp to. Advice from a fellow Oregonian!

But it's a beautiful Thanksgiving!