hen not sitting on eggs, but making mother hen noises?

[Raccoon lady]

My buff Orpington cross has been acting weird for a couple of days. She's stopped laying eggs and is now making mother hen noises. How can I get her to lay eggs again? I thought about blocking off the nest boxes, but she's not going in them at all. Thanks!

 

[rosemarythyme]

She's not sitting in the nests at all? Maybe partially broody or going broody, but not quite there yet?

You can't make them lay, if her hormones are telling her to think about brooding she may not lay until it wears off and she has time to recover, or depending on her age and the length of your daylight hours, she may not resume again until spring.

 

[Raccoon lady]

She's not sitting in the nests at all? Maybe partially broody or going broody, but not quite there yet?

You can't make them lay, if her hormones are telling her to think about brooding she may not lay until it wears off and she has time to recover, or depending on her age and the length of your daylight hours, she may not resume again until spring.

I found another egg she layed. still making mother hen noises and almost growling noises when I try to pick her up. She's only like 7 months old, so maybe it will wear off.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I found another egg she layed. still making mother hen noises and almost growling noises when I try to pick her up. She's only like 7 months old, so maybe it will wear off.

Yeah it sounds like she's halfway but not committed. Unless they actually commit to sitting in a nest, I just let them be. Sometimes it goes away without need for intervention, other times they do finally go fully broody.