Hen won't get out of nesting box.

[egglestonkj]

My hen has been staying in the nesting box for most of the day. We have no roosters so we do not think that she is broody. Does anybody have any advice about what she could be doing. We really appreciate responses. Thanks!

 

[Pyxis]

They go broody without a rooster. Since the eggs won't hatch, it would be best if you break her of her broodiness since brooding is hard on hens, and there's no point to it without fertile eggs

 

[Whittni]

She sounds broody, if she keeps sitting on it and even on eggs, she'll try and hatch chicks. You can give her fertile hatching eggs if you'd like.

 

[aart]

My hen has been staying in the nesting box for most of the day. We have no roosters so we do not think that she is broody. Does anybody have any advice about what she could be doing. We really appreciate responses. Thanks!

Welcome to BYC!

Is she staying on the nest most of the day and all night?
If so, she is likely broody......if not, she may just be hiding from a bully bird.

You'll need to decide if you want her to hatch out some chicks, and how you will 'manage' it.
Do you have, or can you get, some fertile eggs?
Do you have the space needed? She may need to be separated by wire from the rest of the flock.
Do you have a plan on what to do with the inevitable males? Rehome, butcher, keep in separate 'bachelor pad'?
If you decide to let her hatch out some fertile eggs, this is a great thread for reference and to ask questions.
It a long one but just start reading the first few pages, then browse thru some more at random.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/496101/broody-hen-thread

If you don't want her to hatch out chicks, best to break her broodiness promptly.
My experience went like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest, I put her in a wire dog crate with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop and I would feed her some crumble a couple times a day.

I let her out a couple times a day(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.
Water nipple bottle added after pic was taken.

 

[Mrs. K]

or fresh chicks under her. Give her a couple of weeks, and slip day old chicks under her in the dark! Nothing as fun as a hen with chicks.

Mrs k