is my chicken broody or sick??

[o-townchicken]

Hi there,
I have 15 chickens. They are all happy and just over 5 months old. We know for sure one is a rooster. Guessing we might have 1 more. Well, one of our ri reds has taken to the most popular nesting box and wont come out. I finally moved her and found 7 eggs!! Im positive they are not hers because I have seen other chickens getting in the box and laying with her. well, since I removed the eggs she has not layed. But refuses to come out. I took her out and put her by water and food and she just ran back in. She doesnt make laying sounds like the other. but sometimes makes a sound that can be described as the sound steven tyler makes in the song dude looks like a lady......I havent beenable to get her to eat(that i have seen) until I brought her some blackberries today. Eggbound? Sick? Broody? Does anyone have any suggestions??

Thanks so much!!

 

[BetterHensandGardens]

It sounds like she could be broody. There's a little information on how a broody acts and how to build a broody box if you want to encourage her to hatch some chicks here: http://www.betterhensandgardens.com/2011/07/03/building-a-broody-box/

 

[7&8]

Broody, with a capital "B." Making a bee line for the nest box after they have been removed from it..."Broody."

BYC offers a depthless amount of informatiion on breaking broodies. Just type "breaking broody hen" in the search bar at the top right hand of your BYC forum screen. Best wishes & good luck!

 

[StephanieD]

She sounds broody to me! I have a Silkie who is CONSTANTLY broody.....I have just come to accept that that is who she is. I did break her broody-ness once when I placed a frozen peach in the coop, came to check on her later and found her lying on it. She didn't go broody again till one morning a Bobcat was seen (by a neighbor) circling the coop and run. All the chickens were going wild with noise. Every since then she only leaves the coop early in the morning for a few minutes to poop, eat and drink.... good luck!