Is my hen broody or sick?

[MIChickandGuinea]

We have year-old layers, and one of them is staying full-time in the nesting box for the past couple days. Not always the same box - but every time I see her, she's in a box. I worried that she might be hurt or sick, so I have taken her out of the box and let her loose in the yard a few times, and she walks and "talks" normally. But then the next thing I know, she's back in the box. She's not acting aggressive or making complaining noises when I move her to check under her for eggs - she just makes a quiet brk-brk-brk sound and absolutely stands her ground. She doesn't step aside or move out of the way. Just now when I went to see her, she had her feathers poofed up so that she looked twice her actual size.

She doesn't have abnormal stools - no blood or diarrhea evident anywhere in the coop or pen. I don't know if she's eating because every time I see her she's in a box. But she still feels full and heavy and feathery. She doesn't have any residue or build-up at her vent that I can see.

So ... is this behavior consistent with being broody? It's not classic broody behavior, from what I have read. But these are our first chickens and we have no first-hand experience ...

-Beth

 

[sourland]

Sounds as if she is broody to me.

 

[MIChickandGuinea]

Ah - I just saw her pecking at another girl who was in “her” nest box, making this strange growling noise. Too bad we don’t have a rooster or any hatchable eggs ... sounds like we have a girl who is a willing mama.

 

[mixedbreeds]

If you have a cage or dog crate you can block it up so air blows under it keep her in there for 3 or 4 days with food and water and she should stop her broodyness

 

[Mckennas poultry]

Hey, I have a RIR hen that has been acting broody for the past 3 days but she doesn’t seem to be sitting on the nest as much as she should as I see her coming out at least 5 times a day to get a bite of food. She growls, pecks and screams at me when I go near her, what I would like to know is if it is a normal thing that they do to spend the first couple of days going off the nest quite frequently and then they fully sit ? I’m a bit worried that they won’t hatch if she keeps taking little five minute breaks throughout the day....