Is she sick or is this normal?

[Rusty409]

Hi. I got my first chicks a year ago. Everything has been great. Getting a lot of eggs. BUT, I have one chicken for the past couple weeks continues to lay in the nesting box. Every time we check for eggs, or now we are checking much more frequently - she is lying in there. I have picked her up and moved her outside, she will walk around some, and then go back there. I have seen her eat - she looks bright eyed... I do have a heat lamp in the coop b/c we are in Massachusetts and it has been cold. Everyone else is walking around and seems fine. She doesn't "look" sick from what I can tell... And like I said, she is eating. We are getting some ginormous eggs - but not sure from who. Could it be her and she is just exhausted and comfortable?

Thanks for any input!

 

[ChickensRDinos]

Is she sleeping in there? If so it sounds like she is broody.

 

[Rusty409]

She is awake when I go in.... Sorry - new to chickens... what is "broody"

 

[Rusty409]

Oh - ok, just googled "broody".... ya, that sounds like her....

 

[ChickensRDinos]

Is she staying the nesting box all night?

Brooding is an instinct behavior to mother. Her brain is telling her to hatch eggs. Broody hens will pull out their chest feathers and will stay on the nest all day and all night and will usually be very protective of the nest and make grumpy noises when approached. Because it is an instinct behavior she will brood even if there are no eggs.

If she is broody you can give her fertile eggs and she will hatch them or you can search the threads on how to break the behavior and get her to stop. If you leave her be she will do this for a month. Brooding is a normal behavior.

If she is not sleeping in the nest then it's not broody and something is probably wrong.