egg bound? makes loud augh-unh sound and shakes out feathers

[Spaniel Hen]

My one year old silver spangled hamburg hen has been unwilling to leave the nest box since yesterday afternoon. She has a sort of glazed look in her eyes. When I lift her out of the nest box, she pecks at food on the ground. We thought having her walk around outside might help. She went outside, got a drink of water from a bucket, but didn't hang out with the 3 other hens. She went into the mulch by the deck, sort of took a dust bath, stretched out on her side, then sat again as though she were on the nest box, fluffed up the feathers on her back. Then she would get up, stand tall, make a loud noise aguh! unhhh! and shake her wings and feathers. She did that a few times, sometimes running a bit.

Any ideas? Is she egg bound? I'm a newbie!! thanks!

 

[Buugette]

Sounds like she is broody... she wants to be a momma.

Offer her an egg... put in front of her while she is in the nest. If she is broody, she will take it and place it under her.

 

[Spaniel Hen]

well that would be a best case scenario! hamburgs aren't supposed to go broody, but that would make sense. thanks!

 

[Spaniel Hen]

It worked! I placed an egg in front of her, she looked at it, and by time I went to the back of the coop to peek in the window, she had moved it under her. The other girls are now eating yogurt and she is sitting on the egg.

Time to research broody hens! She'll be glad to know I have a roo in my batch of chicks.

Thank you, much relieved!

 

[Buugette]

Glad it was something so easy... I had a slkie go broody a few weeks ago. I ordered eggs to be able to give her a few... she is sitting on them now. She is very happy at the moment.

Diana