Hen sitting all day in fern in front yard.

[Kiss my Chicken]

Our 8 month old Buff Orpington is hopping our fence and going to the front yard and sitting in our planter box by the front door. We move her into the back yard and she keeps going back. We have put up chicken wire on the top of our fence but she is jumping 6ft to the top of the wire, We carry her into the coop at night but she keeps going back. The neighbor has seen her @ 2AM in the box. We were thinking about moving the whole planter box to the backyard. She was laying but hasn't laid anything in 2 days but still want to be there all day & night. She also squeals and fluffs out when we pet her. She is puffed out around the other chickens. They have been picking on her when she is near them. This has been only happening for about a week. Any suggestions?

 

[Jeniferl29]

Your little hen has gone broody. She wants to sit on a batch of eggs and hatch out some little ones. Were you wanting to hatch some chicks or were you wanting to try to break her broody spell?

 

[Kiss my Chicken]

Yes, we want to stop her brooding. We already have another chicken sitting on eggs. We want to keep her safe in the backyard.

 

[FowlinDown2012]

If you are wanting to stop her brooding behavior then I would start slow by moving her claimed planter box into the back yard for a few days and see if she has actually set a claim to that spot or just trying to seek out privacy from the other chickens...? If she's just trying to get away from the others then she'll probably find a new spot... but if she's set a claim to the planter box she stay with the planter... Might also want to think about letting her sit if that's what she wants to do? Kind of a tuff situation

 

[Kiss my Chicken]

Thanks for the advise. We will move it and see what happens.

 

[Kiss my Chicken]

Update, Our other chicken had stopped brooding so we tested the eggs. One was moving doing the float test. They are green shells and you can' do candeling. We put that egg under the Hen in the front. She has been there all day and night for 4 days now. We bring her food and water. Our next problem is we don't really know when the egg will hatch. Do you have any idea how old a chick can be to move in the egg? We think it is at least 15 days old but to could be 22? Thanks

 

[aart]

Chick embryos can start moving in the egg at 7-10 days. Chicken eggs can hatch from 19-25 days.

 

[huntseat]

Quote:
The great part about a broody hen is that you don't have to worry about when it will hatch, she will take care of it now.

 

[Kiss my Chicken]

Thanks, We will let you guy know.

 

[Kiss my Chicken]

We have a new baby chick!

She (we hope) is from a Easter Egger & Porcelain Silkie