Help, chicken in nesting box all day?

[kittyuskattyus]

I'm relatively new to chickens, so I am so sorry if this is a completely normal thing....
One of my two chickens has spent the majority of the last 3 days in the nesting box. I have been collecting all the eggs on a daily basis. And she has produced 2 eggs a day the last 2 days by herself alone??????? Is this even possible? I am terribly worried as we are currently experiencing a heatwave and it must be boiling in the nesting box all day, will she be ok?

 

[jesirose]

Sounds like she is broody!

 

[dewdropsinwv]

Oh she does sound broody!!!

 

[kittyuskattyus]

Broody? We don't have a cockerel though? How long will she be like this for?

 

[teach1rusl]

If you're having a heatwave, I'd remove her from the nest and try your best to discourage her, which is tough if she's full on broody. Broodiness is a hormonal urge to nest/hatch eggs. It doesn't matter whether a rooster is in the picture or not. It doesn't even matter whether she's sitting on eggs or not. I've had broodies on wooden eggs, and on NO eggs at all. I read of one poor little bantam hen that had no eggs, so she collected acorns to sit on...lol.
Some broodies will sit for almost a month, while others may give up within a week if you keep taking the eggs. Since you'll most likely want to discourage her (due to the heat AND the fact that you probably want the eggs to eat), I'd remove her from the nest every single time you find her on there. If she continues to want to sit, do a search on 'broody busting' or 'breaking a broody' to find different ways to get her to give up on sitting...

ETA - I read a post recently of a hen dieing of heat stroke (presumably) from being broody and sitting for days in a really hot coop. My coops have fans, but if they didn't, I'd not let any of my girls sit right now, as the past two weeks have been miserable here...

 

[mrsc1951]

I am experiencing the same thing with my little bantam EE. She goes broody 3-4 times a year, which is not atypical for a bantam. Just before she went broody this time, however she started picking fights with all the other girls. She seemed especially focused on my huge Cochin/SLW cross. I was worried that Greenie(10-11 pounder) would kill Lucile (1-1/2 pounder). Don't know if the heat has made it worse or what is going on. I also have fans in my coops and they are in deep shade so it doesn't get so miserably hot in there. She does come out maybe twice a day to drink and eat a few bites. When you open the nesting box, if your girl is flattened out and ruffles her feathers at you with a little growl, then she is broody. Some report that the broody hen will peck at you but mine never has. My bantam is the only one of mine that has ever gone broody. I don't have a rooster either. It is hormonal. If you don't break her, she will typically sit for 3 1/2 to 4 weeks. If left to sit that long, she can lose a lot of her body weight. I agree with teach1rusl, I would not let a hen sit in this heat. I have learned to just take the eggs out from under her and after about a week she gives it up. Good luck and

 

[fionamcc]

Help trying to upload a photo from IPad any guidance?

 

[dewdropsinwv]

Sorry cant help there. I'm having trouble loading pictures here myself.

 

[FrostBytn]

Get some fertile eggs and stuff under her. It is so cool to see the chicks running around with the hen.
I have a broody right now and the other hens squeeze into the nest with her to lay eggs.
(Even though there are plenty of other nest boxes.)
She does leave the nest to eat, so I leave water and food close to her.

But if your hen seems healthy and you don't want her brooding, there is a lot of info on curing it.
But I would just collect the eggs and see if that cures her.

 

[thebanthams]

hens can go brood without roosters , they want to be a mommy so bad !!