Help! Pullet won't get out of nest box....

[Scooter]

Our beloved and very friendly Buff Orpington is getting more and more reluctant to get out of her nest box. This started about four or five days ago. For the first couple of days, she would stay in for an hour or so, with or without laying, but still get out to eat etc. She has laid 2 eggs since this started, one the first day and one on Saturday, which is about her usual rate. Yesterday afternoon I brought her out (she puffed up her feathers to complain - something she never usually does when we pick her up) to the vegetable garden - a place she loves to be. At first she stayed down where I had put her, but did eat from my hand. She then spent about 5 minutes acting normally, scrathing and eating well, but then dashed back to the coup and straight inside to her favorite nest box again. Still there this morning. No more eggs.

All our other hens seem absolutely fine, and the fact that she can still run aroung makes me feel optimistic - she just doesn't seem to want to. Any ideas??? All our girls are loved by the family, but "Sweetie Pie", as her name suggests, is just adorable and the kids' favorite. Any suggestions would be welcomed.

Thanks

 

[Poison Ivy]

She's gone broody and wants to hatch out some babies!!

 

[Whirlwind]

Yep sounds like she is broody. I had one hen sit for 4 weeks on no eggs. If you want some chicks you could put some fertile eggs under her. I substituted day old chicks since I couldn't find any fertile eggs. You can try to break her up If you don't want any babies. But first you need to decide what you want to do. She also won't lay any eggs while she is broody.

 

[Scooter]

How do I break her of it? Do I need to? We're not set up for chicks (no heat in the coop yet). Also not sure the kids could stand parting with any roosters that we end up with. I'm relieved if she is just broody and not sick. I really don't mind if she stops laying for a while.

 

[tiffanyh]

Do you kave a rooster now???? If not she cant hatch any chicks since no one is around to fertilize the eggs.

If you do, just pull the eggs each day. Buff orpingtons are good for this........

 

[Scooter]

No, no rooster - we're a little too close to the neighbors. Will she be happier sitting on some fake eggs, or will that make her worse? The kids collect any eggs we get several times a day, so she is mostly in an empty nest box.

 

[silkiechicken]

If she's not going to hatch any eggs, I say try to break her. She will sit and sit and sit till she gets chicks... or at least mine would... she sat 5 weeks round one and 6 weeks round two. They get skinny too as they emerge to eat and poo once a day.

Break her by keeping her off nests, and just making her uncomfortable. Lock her up in a wire bottom cage and hang her for a few days, the cage not the bird!

Else, if all fails, get some hatching eggs! LOL

 

[Scooter]

OK, thank you all. Very happy she's not sick. I'll let you know how we get on. Is this something that happens with certain individuals or will all our girls go through it?

So pleased this forum exists!!!!!