HELP she acts broody but won't sit!

[LearninDeChooks]

Hello everyone! I am new here & new to owning chickens & I am a bit stuck. One of our hens stopped laying eggs shortly after we adopted her - that was about 6 months ago now! We (my neighbours & I) came to the conclusion that she must be broody as she'd sit in the nesting box for a while & then would move on to the rabbit's hutch & sit like she was laying but, not producing anything.

We had one gentleman try something he says stops the brooding so they will give you eggs but, it didn't work so, I finally went out & bought 6 eggs. She sat on them last night because I looked her in this spare rabbit hutch with them but, she wouldn't sit on them today. She, Snow White, is eating, scratching & everything else but, not laying. What do I do? ANd what do I do with these eggs now?????? I am freaking out that they eggs will die since they have had one night of heat & practically nothing all day so far but, I am not sure what to do other than try to hold her on the eggs & that just isn't good for any of us involved!

Somehow we have 4 chickens & lucky to get 1 egg a day. Snow white is by what I was told now about a yr & half as well as Pinkie, then we have Caramel who is about 7 months old & the last one, Shelly, I just bought two days ago when I bought the eggs. As far as I have read they should all still be in prime laying. I understand that we are in Autumn down here but, Snow White stopped laying during the latter part of Summer.

Looking forward to you wisdom!

 

[azygous]

Just because a hen stops laying doesn't mean she's broody. There are lots more symptoms such as extreme crabbiness, feathers gone from the breast area, elevated body temperature, and mostly, refusal to leave the nest.

I would carefully observe your hen for other symptoms. Does she appear to be in pain? Does she mope around in a corner of the run holding her tail down? Feel around her vent area. Does it feel like there's something hard there?

Examine her feather shafts for mites or other parasites. That would also affect laying. She could be molting. Feather loss will make her stop laying until she grows new feathers.

There are many reasons why a hen in her prime would stop laying. You need to rule out serious conditions such as being egg-bound. If you have a sick hen, you can get help on the forum for illness and injuries.

Good luck.

 

[LearninDeChooks]

I have read some of that before but, she acts fine, no behaviour change, she's out & about with the others, comes when I go out looking for scraps but, I haven't checked her vent because.....I don't know how & not sure what to be pushing on back there. I do know she has poo on her back feathers there that I will trim away today & hope that helps. I haven't seen worms in the stool but, they rarely get picked up so they aren't keen on it & I didn't want to traumatise them. I have been dusting their cage from time to time with ..... shoot forgot the name of it but, it's natural grey-whitish looking powder that you can also put in their food. I also have worm wood that I need to plant in there for them.

Now what do I do with the eggs? I can't afford to buy an incubator..... can I put them in a box with a towel & a light & just turn them twice a day?

Pls forgive my ignorance!

 

[azygous]

She may be fine and is simply taking a break from laying.

As for the fertile eggs, go and post on the "incubating and hatching eggs" forum. You'll get all kinds of terrific advice!