Help! sick or Broody hen behavior???!???

[mommy25babies]

My hen (second in command) didnt come out of the box this morning... then I looked thought hmm shes in the box earlier then usual but ok. Came back 2 hrs later still there. She was sick a month ago but after treatment and a day was back to herself. Well today shes sitting on a egg of our leader who always lays super early.

So I moved her she goes out gets a drink and walks around a second. I move the egg to a different box. And again I dont see megg an hour later go out. SHES ON THE EGG IN THE DIFFERENT BOX ! So I went to get egg she squawks really loud at me. I check her vemt nice and clean and pink... her heads not down. Shes not acting sick. But refuses to leave the box. Ill check to see if shes on another egg.. but ive never had a broody hen.

Does that sound like a broody hen? If so... what do I do? Is it a bad thing?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Broody. If the egg is fertile and you want chicks that's a good thing. If not, that's a bad thing.
Without allowing a hen to hatch chicks, it's best to break them early. Sequester in a suspended wire bottom cage a couple days to cool the bottom usually does the trick.
Or you could procure some fertile eggs and hatch some.

 

[Judy]

It does sound like a broody, especiallly if she protests or pecks ast you when you move her. Often they will flatten out on the ground as if covering eggs when you lift them out of the box. Probably the best test is that she doesn't roost at night but stays on the nest essentialy 24/7, except for one break a day to eat,etc. Typically, they will make one "broody poop" per day, a large, very stinky poop.

You can try breaking her if you don't want chicks, or you can try having her hatch out some chicks and raise them. If you don't want chicks, you should really try to break her as being broody for weeks and weeks is unhealthy -- occasionally they will even die, if they don't get p to eat enough. They essentially always lose weight while broody, plus having some muscle wasting, etc.

Here's some good reading on the subject:

Post #5: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/693407/broody-bird-what-to-do/0_20#post_9400530

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/broody-hens

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/encouraging-or-discouraging-broodiness-in-your-hens

 

[mommy25babies]

Yup! Thats what she acts like.. no pecking yet.. she didnt budge so i scooted her off she wasnt helping a bit and sorta sat down next to the egg when i went to get it. She wouldnt move.shes super socialized as are all my girls ..lap layers lol big babies....come when I call them by name.hop on my lap etc I took the egg... she pouted then came out with the flock. I checled no more eggs in there right now so shes with the group.. ill watch to see what happens when another of my girls lay or if she lays.

 

[Judy]

A broody will stay on the nest whether there is an egg there or not. If she went out with the flock and stayed for more than a few inutes after you removed the egg, she's not brood. It could be that she is "working on it," though. It's a hormone change, so it doesn't happen in 5 minutes. Watch for ehr to stay on the nest 24.7 rather than roost with the flock.

 

[aljeffers]

Newbie here; I have an Ameracuana and she has recently taken to the nest. There are 8 eggs under her, and she wont leave the nest unless moved. Shen makes growling/purring sounds when anything is near, and her feathers seem to be standing on end at times. Is she broody?

 

[familyfarm1]

How long has she been on the nest? sounds like she might be broody

 

[aljeffers]

Two maybe 3 days. My daughter kept taking her eggs, and then we missed a day or so of collecting, that is when we noticed that she wouldn't come out of the coop.