Golden Wyandotte stopped laying, won't leave nesting box

[MerrieC]

i have a Golden Wyandotte that's been laying fine until about 3 weeks ago. Now she sits on an empty nest until I move her. We live in central Florida so it's hot and humid. We have 5 chickens all different types. We had a rooster but had to get rid of him due to local ordinances. She was laying fine for a while even after he left. She the top of the pecking order and no one picks on her. I take her out once a day and have her out before I let the others out to roam for a bit. This allows her first choice of the treats for the day like scraps of vegetables or fresh fruit. She's currently turning her nose up to mealworms. Her stool is formed and on the dry side so I'm concerned she's not drinking enough. From her poop, it's obvious that she does go out occasionally to eat the feed. She has a bald spot just under her air bladder that you don't see unless you lift up her fleathers. At night I pick her up and put her on the roost, she stays there until morning.
When I go near her in the nesting box, she ruffles up and makes a different sound. I put her on the ground she just fluffs up and won't stand up. After a few she gets up and walks around. She does seem to be more skittish than she used to be.
We had Motted Java that started the same behavior but stopped after 10 days. They are my two biggest hens.
I don't know if she's brooding or something else.
Any help or advice is welcomed.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Yes, she is broody. She either needs eggs to hatch or you can look up how to "break" broodiness.

 

[MerrieC]

Thank you! Now to break the broodiness. Since she won't have anything to hatch.

 

[aart]

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

My experience went like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest, I put her in a wire dog crate with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop and I would feed her some crumble a couple times a day.

I let her out a couple times a day(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.
Water nipple bottle added after pic was taken.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

My Wyandotte hen has been broody countless months. She just is content to watch the world from the highest box.
I place fertile eggs under her so she has something to turn and what not. A tiny food dish and water tray.. She looks like a sweetie but she will peck you real good protecting those eggs.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I don't give my broodies food or water. They need to come out of the box and not having food and water by them helps ensure they stay out and walk around a little bit longer.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

I don't give my broodies food or water. They need to come out of the box and not having food and water by them helps ensure they stay out and walk around a little bit longer.

She gets up in the evening everyday to compete for dinner grain when the rest of the flock comes back and feed frenzies. Then we grab any poo or such. Gives us about 10 mins to see eggs or what not. Then she comes back after eating her share and goes back into her favorite thing to do to past time. Sit and look around and defend her personal box.

 

[MerrieC]

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

My experience went like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest, I put her in a wire dog crate with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop and I would feed her some crumble a couple times a day.

I let her out a couple times a day(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.
Water nipple bottle added after pic was taken.

I thought we would have to separate her from the rest of the girls. Good to know we don't.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

I thought we would have to separate her from the rest of the girls. Good to know we don't.

We will brooder box them. We have too many hens with her. Also her box is 6 feet up high. We use that house for eggs to human consumption.