Egg bound or broody ?!?confused & need help

[BreezyBre]

Seems to me that the symptoms for both are similar . Consequently I did do a glove check to see if I could feel an egg and there was nothing so I wasn't too worried . Olive is lethargic moving once in a while to eat ,poop etc ,I did bring her in the house for some electrolytes /vitamins gave her some scrambled eggs she ate a bit . She's fluffed out flat , cranky ,doesn't want to move otherwise and she's been like this a few days so I went with the feeling she's broody . I'm a new chicken owner so I'm still learning and haven't been through the broody period yet .
I lost a hen in the 117 degree despite my best efforts so I figured what the hell I'll give her an egg or two to sit on . Now im a bit worried again because she doesn't seem to be staying on the eggs :S When she gets up for a drink /poop break she isnt exactly going back to the egg . This would be her first time being broody and it's been a few days so maybe she has to get the hang of it ? If she was egg bound and I misdiagnosed I also assume she wouldn't be doing so well after a few days sooo ...I don't know my husband is worried and now I'm second guessing myself going over all the symptoms in my head ...maybe I'm over thinking ?? She's a good girl I don't want to lose another one

Oh and also checked her crop no issue there .

 

[Chick or Treat]

@Chick-N-Fun might be able to help!!

 

[50-45-1]

I think the main differnce you will have is the growling and clucking.
The sick egg bound hen will not exibit those so much.
Grouchy tells me you more likely have a broody

 

[True Patriot]

Not all hens are ideal mothers. She can be broody but not stay on one nest, or abandon eggs, or any number of things. Some are wonderful at raising chicks, but not all. I would continue watching to make sure it's not something else, but you may want to start looking at threads about breaking a broody.

 

[azygous]

Heat is very hard on chickens. It doesn't take much to cause them to reach a point of heat stress. But let's go over the symptoms of broodiness.

A hen needs to have laid eggs for a period of a month to six weeks before she will switch to her broody hormones. The first sign will be a constant low-key popping and she will start to behave in a nervous manner. Another sign is baldness along her keel bone.

As she approaches the point where she will choose a nest to glue herself to, she will step up her nervousness and crankiness, annoying the others in the flock. When touched, she will puff up, let out a sudden screech, and shake herself. When she finally heads to the nest, she will puff up and growl when touched. She is also likely to bite. Those hormones are wicked.

If, after reading this, you've determined your hen isn't really broody, then it may be the heat. A chicken that doesn't feel well will be very silent compared to the almost constant complaining you hear from a broody.

Electrolytes are important, and so is cold water, and shade is an absolute must. If you find your hen has bright, cherry red facial tissue and comb, you may need to cool her down. You can place her in a tub of cool water up to her underparts, then let the water evaporate after you put her back in her run. Ice cubes in a dish will amuse chickens as well as cool them as they drink the ice melt. A fan also helps, especially at night if the coop is so warm the chickens are panting.

 

[BreezyBre]

Ok well she isn't growling at me or trying to bite me she is good natured , no balding either ,comb/wattle good color ..She is sleeping a lot the only time she really got made at me was when I checked her vent with a gloved hand to look for an egg stuck inside that pissed her off lol otherwise she likes me holding petting her . Checked for mites also none of those. She's has laid two eggs this far ,she just started laying . The weather hasn't been nearly as hot as the previous weeks but the even temps have dipped to much cooler temp than normal in the evening .

 

[BreezyBre]

Oh when it was 117 I was nut with the ice cubes ,water bottles , hosing the coop floor down ,keeping shade I did that multiple times throughout the day and still lost one I would've brought them all inside if hubbs would've allowed it it was brutal .

 

[50-45-1]

I have several broodies sitting on golf balls right now. Here's a video of how they act and sound:

https://vault.myvzw.com/webcs/app/share/invite/pXGLCUI1Uk

 

[BreezyBre]

Ok she's def not vocal

 

[BreezyBre]

I think I'm losing her I brought her in again to put a cool fan on her ,from a distance of course and her breathing just got really laboured and she pooped . Poop doesn't looked good