Help!! Buff Orp won't leave the nest

[babsterh]

I'm still somewhat new to this...so please be kind if this question seems silly. My 7 month old BO won't leave the nest. We have 7 other hens (no rooster) and they all use the same nest, we have 4 other nests available but this is the only one they use. I've tried plastic eggs and golf balls in the other nests and none of them are interested in moving to one of the other nests. This just became a real problem today when the BO got into the nest and wouldn't move. My barred rock just laid her egg in the nest while the BO just sat there. The others, RIR, NJG, BO, comets and a leghorn are getting frustrated with the one that won't move, I'm afraid they might attack her. I just checked on them and the BO is now sleeping in the nest. Please, if you have any advice please send it my way. Many thanks

 

[Kelsie2290]

She may be broody, wanting to set eggs and hatch chicks... broodys usually fluff up and hiss and get upset at you if you bother her or try to take eggs away, BOs are a fairly broody breed. There is a BYC Learning Center Article on broody hens. https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/broody-hens
If you don't want to have her hatch eggs, you will probably want to break her of being broody since she may stay on the nest for months and will not lay eggs during this time. I just use wire bottomed dog crates and put perches in there and small food and water dishes hanging from the side so they can't sit in them. They don't like to stand on the wire so sit on the perches most of the time, usually they give up in a couple of days, but I leave them in there a week. Some people have mentioned putting a small fan under them to cool them off even faster.
The using the same nest is pretty normal with chickens, they seem to think that if one chicken thinks a nest is good they all have to use it also. Are the others in the same place or is this one different somehow? If the nests are in different places you can try moving them around to where the favorite one is. Sometimes if they get too bad about only using one nest for some reason, I will close that one up for a day or two. You might also try putting multiple fake eggs/golf balls in one of the other nests.
The other thing to double check would be if she is ill or having trouble laying an egg or something, if they are egg bound etc they will often sit in the nest for a long time but not lay an egg, but will act uncomfortable or depressed and may have a messy vent.

 

[Flybybirds]

I have a broody Maron hen but she is not sitting on an egg. She just stays in the box for as long as we allow it. Then I put her out in the runs with the other. I was hoping that today she would lay an egg like usual but not so far. She is clean in the rear and I can't feel an egg, but then I have only seen parrots showing an egg. Can you actually feel if she is egg bound? What would I do if she is?
She definitely is fluffy and she murmurs at me when I check her. She does let me look under her for an egg. Do they ever get over this if in fact she is broody?