Hen won't leave nesting box

[NanaHorn]

I have the max amount of girls for my area. 8 wonderful ladies who just started laying a little over a month ago. We have enjoyed every part of my finally having my chickens, as it has been many years since I was able to have my own girls. The girls are all still pretty young and this is almost all new to me. The last opportunity I had to deal with chickens was when my Auntie had them and I took care of them for her. She lived on 9 acres of wooded land and while they had a coop and an pen to keep them safe, they had full range to walk around during the day, I have a coop and a fenced in area. No one tried to "fly to coop" and they all seem happy. All of a sudden our Molten lava does not want to leave the nesting box. And for the most part, that box is used by each hen to lay her egg. So she sits on 4 to 7 eggs every morning. She will let me pick her up and remove the eggs. If I put her down she will go outside with the others, but she seems more aggressive then she ever has been before. Then it isn't long before she returns to the nesting box and sits. If I sit her down in the box, I never see her come out to the yard. My husband told me to put two plastic easter eggs in the box so she isn't sad. Which I have done, but I really don't think she does more then just sit there and move for when another hen is ready to lay their eggs. Recently I walked in and found 3 of them sitting in the box. It is the corner box so I am thinking that they like it the best because it feels like it gives them the best amount of security? Other boxes have been used, just not like this one.
After all of that, my question is this: Is she sad? Am I doing enough for her? Do I leave it alone and wait for her to just work it our on her own? I am disabled so I am always home and I really do not have any friends so my animals get all my attention. I have dogs and rabbits as well. I spend time with all of them. So for the most part, my hens are happy to see me. I may have treats or love to give so they usually love to see me. I want them to be happy!! LOL! I figured I could look this type of reaction up, but thought I would do better to search on here first. I thank you in advance for any words of advice that are offered.

 

[sourland]

Sounds as if she has gone broody and wants to incubate and hatch some eggs.

 

[WallyG74]

She’s broody and wants to hatch eggs. If you don’t have a rooster then that will be impossible. You really need to break her if you’re not able to let her hatch a clutch. It’s unhealthy in the long term because they sacrifice their body to keep those eggs warm and secure.

 

[nuthatched]

She's just broody.

 

[NanaHorn]

Any advice on how to break her of being Broody?? She is young. 5 months old I think?? All of the girls are that young. I had heard of chickens becoming broody but I didn't think it would happen so young

 

[WallyG74]

Any advice on how to break her of being Broody?? She is young. 5 months old I think?? All of the girls are that young. I had heard of chickens becoming broody but I didn't think it would happen so young

It just depends on the chicken. There’s lots of different ways to break a broody. Here’s a good recipe:
-Isolate from the other chickens
-No bedding to get comfy in
-Good air circulation to keep her cool and not warm, keeping those hormones raging
-some kind of perch off the floor/cage
-food & water
-some use a big dog kennel with wire bottom

 

[rosemarythyme]

Any advice on how to break her of being Broody??

Broody jail: Put her in an isolation cage with some food and water, in sight of the others (in the coop if it's not too hot or in/near the run is ideal). A wire cage elevated to air flow under her would be the best option, however I've used everything from a brooder to a dog exercise pen.

Keep her in the cage around the clock for about 2 days. At that time, if she's shows fewer signs of broodiness (puffing up, flattening down and growling, tik tik tik noise) you can let her out to test her. If she runs back to the nest at any point (usually they don't do it immediately, but maybe after 15 minutes, maybe an hour) then she's not yet sufficiently broken and needs to go back to the cage for another 24 hours. Then let her out and test her again. Repeat until she's no longer going to the nest box.

IF the isolation cage is not safe for overnight stay (i.e. sits outside the run, run not predator proof) then put her on the roost at night, and retrieve her from the nest box the next morning and put her back in the cage. It may take a little longer this way but better than letting a predator get to her.

 

[Waffle Wattles]

Broody jail: Put her in an isolation cage with some food and water, in sight of the others (in the coop if it's not too hot or in/near the run is ideal). A wire cage elevated to air flow under her would be the best option, however I've used everything from a brooder to a dog exercise pen.

Keep her in the cage around the clock for about 2 days. At that time, if she's shows fewer signs of broodiness (puffing up, flattening down and growling, tik tik tik noise) you can let her out to test her. If she runs back to the nest at any point (usually they don't do it immediately, but maybe after 15 minutes, maybe an hour) then she's not yet sufficiently broken and needs to go back to the cage for another 24 hours. Then let her out and test her again. Repeat until she's no longer going to the nest box.

IF the isolation cage is not safe for overnight stay (i.e. sits outside the run, run not predator proof) then put her on the roost at night, and retrieve her from the nest box the next morning and put her back in the cage. It may take a little longer this way but better than letting a predator get to her.

I'm going to have to do this, too. 13 hens and one roll away nest box and one hen has gone broody. All just shy of a year old. Been locking the hen box at night and in the afternoon, but gotta have it open for laying. Have to get a cage now because this isn't enough to break the habit. If I wasn't so busy I'd make another box and place eggs in it and let her hatch them out but the thought of doing that right now makes me dizzy.

 

[WallyG74]

I'm going to have to do this, too. 13 hens and one roll away nest box and one hen has gone broody. All just shy of a year old. Been locking the hen box at night and in the afternoon, but gotta have it open for laying. Have to get a cage now because this isn't enough to break the habit. If I wasn't so busy I'd make another box and place eggs in it and let her hatch them out but the thought of doing that right now makes me dizzy.

It can get very overwhelming

 

[Waffle Wattles]

Especially in the spring.

It can get very overwhelming