Hen won't leave her nest

[Clucky Bagawk]

My Buff Orpington took to her nest and doesn't want to leave. She is beginning to lose weight. There are 25 other layers in the flock. Any ideas on what to do?

 

[BigDaddy'sGurl]

Sounds like she is broody: how long has she been like this? If it has been at least two weeks, sneak a couple of day old chicks under her at night. Or, if you want her to hatch eggs you already have, try moving her nest and all to a cage by herself and putting a couple of eggs under her at night. My broody hen just hatched her eggs today and up until today I've had to remove her from the nest daily and put her in front of her food/water for her to actually eat or drink. I kept her food and water within a foot or so of her nest but I still had to forcibly move her to get her to ingest anything.

Or...if you don't want chicks and want to end the broodiness, put her in a wire bottom cage with NO nesting materials for a few days. She should give up eventually!

Good luck!

 

[Happy Chooks]

Has she been on the nest at night instead of roosting? If so, you have a broody, meaning she wants to hatch eggs and be a mom. Depending on how long she's already been sitting, you can get some day old chicks, let her hatch eggs, or try to break her broodiness.

 

[galanie]

I have a broody that I have to take off the nest and lock out of the coop once a day for about 10 minutes so she'll eat, drink and poo. She growls at me and gives me the stink eye every time she sees me now lol.

 

[cnodgaard]

OH my gosh, my broody blue orp growls at me too when I interrrup her sitting! I work all day M-F, so it's harder for me to keep dragging her off the nest. Plus, she's sitting in the nesting box that EVERY BODY wants. I have a little area that I can put her in, but then she squawks and carries on.

Poor little thing... she just wants to be a mom. I only have hens, so no eggs for her to hatch.