HELP!! First Broody Hen!

[Elevenaha]

My buff Orpingtons are a little over a year old and one of our hens have become rather broody. She's very careful with the eggs and very determined so we decided to let her lay on them to see if she would be able to hatch them naturally.

However... In the last few days when she runs out of the coop for her usual quick drink and to poop before returning to her nest, she can't seem to drop anything..? She fluffs up and stomps around and acts like she's about to poop (for lack of better term), but nothing comes out. Occasionally a little bit of runny poo drops but it's nothing like what she was dropping for the first couple weeks of nesting. I've googled and googled and she's not showing any other signs of illness or lethargy...

Any information or thoughts on what this may be and how to help her would be wonderful.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

If she's looking and acting normally I wouldn't worry. I never actually watched to see if they poop every time a broody gets off the nest. They aren't eating and drinking much so maybe it's every other day.

 

[Poultry parent]

if you don't see her poop, look around, broody poop is HUGE in comparison to normal chicken poop

 

[aart]

I'd pick her up and take a good look back there....make sure her vent is clear and there's no swelling.