Is she Sick or just strange chicken behavior?

TheChips

Chirping
6 Years
Sep 28, 2013
289
8
83
I do apologize i also posted this in the Behavior thread. Because I am not sure what this could be.

I have a hen who has been in her nesting box
There are no eggs under her so she couldnt be trying to hatch a clutch

Shes been inside the coop in the nesting box. She wont leave, she wont get up to eat unless I bring her food. When I bring her food she just moves her head to reach it. These sort of behaviors are very similar to when she was nesting on her 2 eggs last spring.

This time, there are no eggs. Yesterday was the first time shes ever been "aggressive" and bite hard when I reached by her. Shes a small bantom hen, her growls arent very loud. When she was nesting even her little bites didnt do much. But this time it hurt a little.

I thought maybe she was injured. I brought her out of the coop and set her on the top and she was walking around just fine. As soon as she started walking around, she ran back into the nesting box.

What do you think this could be?

Is she sick?

Is she really mad ive been taking her eggs and shes on strike? Its been way too cold for me to allow her to try to have chicks right now.

Is she protesting? lol

Is she hurt?

What are your thoughts?

Im about ready to bring her inside for the weekend to keep a close eye on her.

She also hasnt been laying, can she be having a laying issue?
 
I have had chickens do this before, and i don't even have a rooster! She is being broody. Meaning, she is trying to hatch chicks. I don't know much about Bantams though, but with her pecking you, just wear a coat or long sleeved shirt when you get the eggs, then you can just get the eggs away from her and she can peck away, but it wont hurt. She does not sound like she is sick, just broody. Keep the eggs away from her and she should straighten up after a while LOL. Maybe she will do this come spring and you can hatch some chicks from her!
 
Hi there The Chips

She sounds broody to me.

I have a determined bantam who I am in the process of trying to break and she has been trying to sit on 'fresh air' for weeks! When a chicken goes broody the hormonal changes stop her from producing eggs.
 

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