Is she getting Broody?

[betschicks]

Hi, new chicken Mamma here I think my 10 month hen is going broody. She is the only hen from a straight run of 7. I kept one of the Roo's to keep her company and for a Bantam she is a FABULOUS layer ( almost an egg a day since she started in the coldest part of January) She has occassionally been caught in the nesting box for extended periods of time, but always makes an appearance and loves when I open the coop up to the attached grassy area. but yesterday she was only out a little and today I had to pull her from the nesting box 3 times and each time she got all fluffed up. I don't think she is sick and she had her usual normal looking egg at about the same time this afternoon. Just last week she laid one in the coop under the water source and now I can't get her from the nest. I have 7 buddies growing as fast as they can, but for now she is my only laying hen! Does this sound like she is getting broody, even though she has only been laying for 4 months and what can I do??? Should I close the hen house after she lays her egg and make her stay out?

 

[sumi]

If she won't leave the nest box, gets upset when you remove her and sleeps in the nest box she's most likely broody, yes. What you can do to "break" her is put her in a wire-bottom cage for a few days with only food and water, no nesting materials. Broody hens' body temperature goes up and while they are in the cage with the air flow from below it's very hard for them to maintain that, so after average 3 days most of them will quit. Though some really stubborn broodies will hang on regardless, this method works fairly well.

 

[betschicks]

Thanks! I only have her and the Roo til the new girls (4 weeks old) get bigger. So I worry about him. Will he be okay by himself? I have a tractor hen house and can close it up so she is forced to stay out of it and he'll still be with her, nothing to nest on in the coop. I think I'll try that today.