Hen won't get off her nest

[GLBRWyans]

Got another question ............

As I mentioned yesterday my Rock Barred hen is just sitting and not laying . She is on her nest constantly . This afternoon my wife and I went out to tend
to the critters and sure enough she was still sitting . One quick note : earlier I was out and heard her doing the hen clucking , like hey everyone I am about
to lay one . Anyway my wife picked her up from the nest box and set in her on the ground but she squatted , my wife picked her up again and set her down
again and she squatted again . A few minutes later while we were observing her ; she got up and went straight back to her nest . Is she sick , someone said
she is probably broody , but her behavior today is something I have never seen . Is this typical for a hen that is broody to squat ? I am concerned she may
be egg bound , because of the way she acted today , I am asking because you all are the experts and I have little experience with chicken behavior .

Thanks ,
Stephen

 

[Judy]

My broodies almost always squat when I lift them out of the nest. If I want them to eat, drink, forage, etc., I have to make them get moving.

 

[Animalian]

Sounds just like my broody PR at the moment. Its as if she still thinks shes on the nest so keeps squatting, then someone will peck her and she get shocked back into the present and run back to the nest.
She will come out when I make the treat call, gorge herself then straight back on the nest!

 

[Happy Chooks]

She's broody. The soft clucking is the mama hen cluck. Yes, they are in a hormonal trance - when I've set my broodies down they have squatted like that.

 

[GLBRWyans]

Thanks to all that posted , the hormonal trance was interesting .

Stephen

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

This morning one of my broodies ran out of the coop very quickly and ran over to some sand, crouched down into a half-sitting position and scratched at the sand while doing the broody cluck. She then proceeded to eat, drink, then get back on the nest within 20 minutes, clucking continuously.

(Just an example of their odd behavior.)

 

[heatherkh]

Quote:
That's pretty much what my broody was like when she got off the nest. Running around doing her business clucking and looking for all the world like a miniature turkey.

 

[GLBRWyans]

Update :

She ate and got water and went back . So all is good . Just have never seen this behavior before that is why I was a bit concerned . Although she hasn't laid in about 3-4 days now .
She has a best friend out there also, a RIR . They are big buddies . The other day I picked up one of my Buff Orphs to pet her , she wailed like I had killed her , finally she calmed down
after a few minutes I sat her down and she just stood there and stared at me , she was fixated on me . I would reach out and touch her on the beak and she just kept staring . That was a bit funny how she just looked at me ; like how dare you pick me up and pet me .

 

[SteveBaz]

there was a post I read about a pepper korn inserted in the top of the hens egg slot short for a proper word and it encourages egg laying again for a broody hen. Maybe that would stop the behavior.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
Just wait til you get the broody poo.