lathargic, won't stand, hasn't eaten or drank, maybe not even pooped

[jarzmom]

My chicken--the prettiest and my favorite---has been hanging out in the nest box for 3 days/nights now. I don't know if she's laid or not, and not completely sure if eaten, drank water or pooped. If she has, it's been very little. She fluffs her feathers up real big and her tail is high and fanned out. She will not/can not stand and she kinda makes a fluttery cooing/purring sound. so far the others haven't been bothering her, but I put her out into the coop (we only have 2 nest boxes and some of the other 7 hens have been laying in the coop). Now the other hens seem interested in her--might put her back in the nest box as I don't want her pecked to death. Tried to spoon water her, no luck. Sprinkled her with water (it's over 85 in the coop, with a breeze flowing through) We can't feel an egg in there, and her vent looks pink & healthy. It's kinda pooching in & out, in & out. No signs of mites or lice; breathing seems fine; comb is red and normal looking; eyes bright. I put a dish of water right in front of her, and she has so far ignored it. Ditto a smal pile of food. this has just increased the other hens' interest. the only place to put her in order to separate her is a small dog box.

What to do?

Update--she CAN walk! She got up & went back into one of the nextboxes. I have found egg(s) under her, and removed the golfball we use to encourage them to lay in the not-as-favored nestbox. It isn't as simple as her being broody is it? Although she will be in there without any egg under her, and has slept there instead of the roosts for 3 nights now.

 

[tigerrrrrrrlilly]

Sounds like she is broody to me

 

[jarzmom]

We've had our girls since September and just now have seen what a very stubborn broody hen is! My husband removed her from the nest & coop, placing her in the run. She sat for a few minutes. She then got up & ate, drank & preened for a few--then began scratching & behaving as if it never happened!

Too funny.

 

[tigerrrrrrrlilly]

I have 2 broodys right now, one does the same as yours and the other decided on a box in the kid's game room where she goes when they leave the door open to outside. She literally screams at me when I try to move the box! I had to put food and water with them in their boxes because they refuse to come out at all. I have read posts they can be stubborn enough that they will actually die on the nest and some do. So to be safe I make sure they have food/water within reach because mine seem THAT stubborn.

 

[jarzmom]

Yeah, she's back at it again. She was in the run for maybe 10 minutes & then was right back in the nestbox. I'm getting frustrated. The other hens are piling up into the other box & even on top of her--I just found 2 in the "free" nestbox & 2 on top of my broody hen--all trying to lay their eggs! I can't put food/water in the coop with her if I'm not there to watch it' can't risk water being spilled into the litter. it's way too hot for the litter to get wet! We'll keep taking her out & putting her into the run and hope we can break the cycle that way.

Thanks for your input!