Hen not leaving nest box

[Cryss]

She may very well be broody and you will want to put her in broody jail. Before doing that remove her in the morning. Put her in the run after checking her over for any signs of illness or injury. Observe, does she walk funny? Does she eat and drink? Does she poop and is it normal? If all seems well continue to keep an eye on her to see if she runs back to the nest. @aart usually says to wait 3 days to see if she’s serious about being broody or does she give it up. Meanwhile keep taking her out of the nest. She needs to eat and drink.

 

[aart]

@aart usually says to wait 3 days to see if she’s serious about being broody or does she give it up.

I wait the 3 days if I want her to hatch, then I'll set her up in the broody area.
If I don't want her to hatch, she goes right into the broody breaker.

These are my go-to signs that a bird is truly broody:
Is she on nest most the day and all night?
When you pull her out of nest and put her on the ground, does she flatten right back out into a fluffy screeching pancake?
Does she walk around making a low cluckcluckcluckcluckcluck(ticking bomb) sound on her way back to the nest?
If so, then she is probably broody and you'll have to decide how to manage it.

 

[Rhcecil]

Yes we have a rooster but not ready to be hatching eggs yet. I will remove her this morning and watch her. Thank you.

 

[aart]

but not ready to be hatching eggs yet.

If you don't want her to hatch out chicks, best to break her broodiness promptly.

My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest (or as soon as I know they are broody), I put her in a wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop or run with feed and water.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.

Chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor after pic was taken.

 

[Rhcecil]

Thank you everyone for the advice. She was indeed on an egg I couldn’t see. I pushed her out and collected the egg. Gave her her favorite treat outside and she is currently running around outside scratching and eating. Watched her poop as well. She is definitely broody though because she was making the noises like you said and staying puffed up. I will keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn’t keep returning. I do not have a dog crate but do have a separate area I can put her if she keeps going out. Right now she acts like she was in prison and finally free and running around lol.

 

[DobieLover]

Thank you everyone for the advice. She was indeed on an egg I couldn’t see. I pushed her out and collected the egg. Gave her her favorite treat outside and she is currently running around outside scratching and eating. Watched her poop as well. She is definitely broody though because she was making the noises like you said and staying puffed up. I will keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn’t keep returning. I do not have a dog crate but do have a separate area I can put her if she keeps going out. Right now she acts like she was in prison and finally free and running around lol.

A separate area is not enough. She needs to be off all bedding that allows her to nest. The crate works to cool her belly as well. By being several inches off the coop floor, that allows air to circulate under her but there is bedding or litter under the crate so she doesn't create a big mess when confined to the breaker.

 

[aart]

She is definitely broody though because she was making the noises like you said and staying puffed up. I will keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn’t keep returning. I do not have a dog crate but do have a separate area I can put her if she keeps going out.

You might just be able to keep tossing her off the nest every time you see her in there(check hourly). Having a crate is a great tool for every chickeneer.
They come in very handy for many situations.
Can find them cheap(<$20) at yard sales/flea markets.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...rates-a-good-tool-for-every-chickeneer.72619/

 

[DobieLover]

You might just be able to keep tossing her off the nest every time you see her in there(check hourly). Having a crate is a great tool for every chickeneer.
They come in very handy for many situations.
Can find them cheap(<$20) at yard sales/flea markets.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...rates-a-good-tool-for-every-chickeneer.72619/

There is also this option for $20:
https://louisville.craigslist.org/pet/d/fairdale-foldable-2-door-dog-crate/7049887226.html

 

[CanadaEh]

just close all nest boxes with curtain for the night for couple of days, tossing her out - always worked with my broody barred rocks

 

[aart]

There is also this option for $20:
https://louisville.craigslist.org/pet/d/fairdale-foldable-2-door-dog-crate/7049887226.html

I wish all mine were 2 doors.