I have a question..

[speterson]

Hi, my name is Stacy and I am new to this forum. I have a question about my hens and have been looking for answers on the internet with no luck.

For about 2 1/2 weeks now 2 of my hens (they are both almost 1) have been in their boxes and won't come out. We thought they were sitting on eggs so we've stopped collecting thinking we would let them hatch some out. We got looking closer the other day and realized there are no eggs under them at all. They are both in their boxes still and will not come out. When we try to lift them out so they can come outside to play with the rest of the chickens in the yard they hiss and peck. We were also worried because it doesn't seem like they are eating or drinking also. Does anyone know why they are acting this way and why they have stopped laying?

 

[Dawn419]

Hi and Welcome to BYC!

Sounds to me like your girls have gone broody.

I just moved two of my broody hens to wire-bottomed cages (each cage/old double rabbit hutch has seperate feeders and waterers for them) to break them of it as I don't have the room for them to hatch any chicks.

I made sure to keep the eggs collected several times a day and they'd stay on the nest, regardless of having no eggs. I would have moved them sooner but we've had several days of rain and today was the first day that I was able to get outside and get them moved.

Hope this is some help!


Dawn

 

[ArizonaNessa]

I am no expert but I would say they have gone broody. It is really no big deal. When my black cochin went broody she was doing the exact thing you are speaking of and everyday I would take her out she would get a drink and nibble a bit and go right back. I got kinda annoyed because I did not want her to sit and I had no eggs for her. I did have a shipment of day old chicks coming from the hatchery and when they arrived I snuck one under her in the night. Just one little chicky and she loved it. She took that little baby everywhere and the broodiness stopped. The baby grew up and she is all back to normal.

All that said, you could get some fertile eggs and put under her and wait for the chickies or you could maybe go to your local feed store and purchase a few day old peeps and sneak them in. Just remember that if you put chicks under her, in my opinion, you should only do this with chicks a few days old otherwise she will take them but they won't follow her and then sad days will come.

After typing all that I am sure others have already said this so sorry if I duplicated anyones suggestions.

Oops almost forgot...Welcome to BYC