Hen just sits in the nesting box

[RoyalChick]

She is a Buff Orpington I wonder if it's a breed issue

People talk about Silkies being prone to being broody. Probably true. I don’t have Silkies. Beyond that I think it is an individual hen characteristic.

 

[rosemarythyme]

She is a Buff Orpington I wonder if it's a breed issue

They are more prone to broodiness than some other breeds.

 

[Ridgerunner]

She is a Buff Orpington I wonder if it's a breed issue

Some breeds, like Rhode Island Reds and Leghorns have had the broodiness bred out of them. If you only hatch eggs laid by hens that never go broody, in a few generations you have a flock where almost no hens ever go broody. They are production breeds used to lay eggs. When they are broody they are not laying eggs. A broody hen can be culled when they are only for laying eggs commercially. A RIR or Leghorn can go broody but it is really rare.

If you only hatch eggs from hens that go broody in a few generations you will have a flock where most hens go broody. I did that for my replacements (roosters and hens) and soon had a flock where every hen went broody. I like my broody hens but that was too much.

Orpington have a reputation of often going broody. Not every Orpington does but many will. It depends on what criteria the person selecting which chickens get to breed uses to select the breeders. I had two Buff Orpington that never did go broody but a lot of people have had broody Orpingtons.

My test to see if a hen is broody enough to deserve eggs is where does she spend the nights. If she spends two consecutive nights on the nest instead of her normal sleeping place I consider her a committed broody and needs hatching eggs or needs to be broken from being broody. A broody hen does not lay eggs so if she is not going to hatch and raise chicks I do not want her broody.

 

[BDutch]

Some breeds, like Rhode Island Reds and Leghorns have had the broodiness bred out of them. If you only hatch eggs laid by hens that never go broody, in a few generations you have a flock where almost no hens ever go broody. They are production breeds used to lay eggs. When they are broody they are not laying eggs. A broody hen can be culled when they are only for laying eggs commercially. A RIR or Leghorn can go broody but it is really rare.

I have a bantam RIR, she is my most stubborn broody if she is.

If you only hatch eggs from hens that go broody in a few generations you will have a flock where most hens go broody. I did that for my replacements (roosters and hens) and soon had a flock where every hen went broody. I like my broody hens but that was too much.

I prefer the same. Like to have a few that go broody but certainly not all.

My test to see if a hen is broody enough to deserve eggs is where does she spend the nights. If she spends two consecutive nights on the nest instead of her normal sleeping place I consider her a committed broody .

Yes. But If I don’t want a broody I dont let het sit in the night. Not even for one night. Most evenings I check to see if they all roosted. If I find a broody in a nest-box, I take her out and put her on a roost. Exception: I leave her to sit , and add a few fake eggs when I want chicks. After 2-5 days I take the fake eggs out and replace them for fertilised eggs (hopefully).

 

[HCren]

I have a hen that as been sitting in the nesting box for about 2 weeks. I can finically make her leave but she's back with in an hour. When I push her out she puffs up her feathers and the eventually gets food and water. Today I moved her nesting box out of the corner and she just went to the other one that all my hens use. Her comb had dropped a bit but the color seems good. I'm baffled.

I have a hen who is a year old and is doing the same thing. She just sits in nesting box, no egg. She flips out taking her out of nesting box and will peck the heck out of our hands! But then will go back in. I closed the coop door for awhile to make sure she ate and drank something.
She had been laying eggs normally, but for the last couple weeks she is crazy broody. She looks healthy so idk.

 

[Beachgirl8796]

I have a hen who is a year old and is doing the same thing. She just sits in nesting box, no egg. She flips out taking her out of nesting box and will peck the heck out of our hands! But then will go back in. I closed the coop door for awhile to make sure she ate and drank something.
She had been laying eggs normally, but for the last couple weeks she is crazy broody. She looks healthy so idk.

I finally had to remove all the nesting boxes for about a week. I also had decoy eggs, so took them out too. As long as I make sure to get eggs every day she's ok. But if I wait she's back broody again. I'm going out of town for a few days I know she's gonna be broody when get back

 

[HCren]

I finally had to remove all the nesting boxes for about a week. I also had decoy eggs, so took them out too. As long as I make sure to get eggs every day she's ok. But if I wait she's back broody again. I'm going out of town for a few days I know she's gonna be broody when get back

Very frustrating! I’m just going to keep checking on her and make sure she gets out occasionally. That is a good idea though, might have to try removing nesting boxes. Good luck to you and your hen

 

[rosemarythyme]

Very frustrating! I’m just going to keep checking on her and make sure she gets out occasionally. That is a good idea though, might have to try removing nesting boxes. Good luck to you and your hen

It's far easier and less stressful for the flock to break the hen in a broody breaker than to go to the extreme of removing nests. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/broody-breaking-ala-aart.77915/

 

[HCren]

It's far easier and less stressful for the flock to break the hen in a broody breaker than to go to the extreme of removing nests. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/broody-breaking-ala-aart.77915/

She is a Buff Orpington I wonder if it's a breed issue

One of my broody hens is a Buff Orpington too.