Hen won't leave nesting box

[BasicallyHeather]

My cochin/leghorn X has been trying broody on for size lately. We do have a roo, and we just hatched one of their chicks in the incubator, so we don't need any more (sigh...I love chicken math, but my hub would kill me! We have 17 right now). I just reach under her and collect her egg as soon as she lays it. After a few hours she decides to get up and off she goes. She doesn't care that I reach under her and is very docile. Some hens get downright evil when they are broody and will try and peck the living daylights out of you, however.

 

[littleluciex]

We have a what I think is a bantie we call her puff. She gets so mad when you take her eggs, the whole neighborhood can hear!

 

[elmo]

Quote:
How does she react if you approach her? If she puffs up, hisses/growls at you, that's a sign of being broody. If she's just listless and doesn't react, she might be eggbound or otherwise ill.

 

[j_morgan76]

Her feathers lift up and she hisses a little. She refuses to move.

 

[Tracydr]

I think my OEGB decided to go broody. Shes been on the nest box all day. She's only been laying a month!

 

[j_morgan76]

OMG... just moved her and found 5 eggs and 3 golf balls under her. I used the golf balls to train the hens to use the nesting boxes but there was only on in each box. She moved them all to one box.

 

[drumstick diva]

Yep, she's broody !!

 

[Tracydr]

Quote:
I can just picture her carrying golf balls in her beak!

 

[cmom]

I had a broody lately. I have an incubator so I incubate my eggs. I didn't want her to be broody so I put her in a coop with some non layers that doesn't have any nest b oxes. I kept her in there for about a week. Today I let her and the other non layers in with the rest of the flock and all went well and she wasn't in the nest box today.

 

[Ashland Oregon]

One of mine is trying to get broody, but we don't have a rooster either so there's no point in letting her. Besides, it's getting hot here and it can't be good for her sitting in a small enclosed space for so long without water. After an hour (or after all three have laid for the day) I lift her out of the nest and shuffle her off towards the waterer, then close the door to the coop so she can't go back in.

I do the same.