Moody Hen?

[Jclem80]

We have 5 Wyandotte hens about 18 months old now. We're getting 3-4 eggs a day and they seem to be very happy. They are roost in their coup at night and roam our 1 acre piece of land through out the day. We have noticed though that one hen lays under the coup all day and doesn't move from that spot. Not even to eat. We bring her food and water and I've even carried her out in the middle of the yard. She will mill around for a few minutes but then go right back and lay. Since these are our first chickens I'm not sure what this behavior is all about. Any ideas?

Regards

 

[vickiw]

Really????this isn't like sending someone snipe hunting, is it????

 

[Fly 2006]

Does she have eggs under there? Sounds as if she is broody, you must make sure she is bought out regularly to eat and drink and if possible block her access to under the coup as she will just carry on doing this, it is a **** nuisance to be honest and you need to break her of it by keeping her moving, good luck!

 

[LaynaDon95]

I would agree with Fly in that it sounds like she's broody. If you don't have a rooster then there is no point in letting her continue. If you want or are allowed chicks where you live you could buy her some fertile eggs to put under her. It is actually quite fun to watch a hen raise her babies. You don't have to make sure she eats and drinks. She will take care of that on her own. Since it's summertime you might want to put a waterer under there with her, if you decide to let her sit. If not then you will have to break her. You can block her access to her nest or put her in a crate or something for about a week I think. She will hate it and fight you, but hens lose a lot of weight when they are sitting on eggs and will stay there until they hatch babies, so if she doesn't have fertile eggs she will sit there for a long time waiting for them to hatch and will lose a lot of weight.

 

[Gibster]

It helps if you rock the chicken if she is indeed broody. Rock her in your arms for a few minutes and then put her down and shoo her out of the coop. Do this a couple of times it should help. Old farmer trick.

 

[LaynaDon95]

Really????this isn't like sending someone snipe hunting, is it????

HAHAHAHAHA! Ahem. Forgive me. It's just that I thought the same thing when I read that.

 

[Jclem80]

I was thinking broody as well when my wife first told me about it but she's not laying on any eggs, in fact I don't think she is laying eggs either. We do not have a rooster and I have read that when you don't have one, a hen will tend to fill the role of a rooster. So I thought maybe that was the issue as well. I have noticed since I've been home over the past couple days that when I put her in the coup at the end of the day a couple of the other hens start making noises at the moody one. Possibly a pecking order thing as well?

 

[theoldchick]

Broody



Moody Broody




Thinks she's invisible broody.





Best dressed broody





Extra large broody




The Back Off Broody





Crazy Eyed Broody




Most Dedicated Broody




The EX-Broody. Check out her brood spot. Ignore her zombie stinky eye.





Chances are your hiding hen is broody.

 

[bluemusefarm]

One of our Buff Orpingtons goes broody about every 2-3 months. It's annoying...she doesn't lay any eggs (and she's usually one of our best layers!), she isn't even SITTING on any eggs in the nest box, but she just wants to sit there and be a brat. The only thing we can do that works is to force her out of the nest box and lock her out of the coop -- so she has NO access to it. (Of course, we leave water out for her.) A couple things about this: on the first day we force her out of the nest box, she tries to "nest" in any other available spot -- mostly gardens. We HAVE to keep her busy pecking at the ground until she forgets about it. We put her in again at night, and then lock her out again right away next morning. It usually breaks the broodiness in 2-3 days.

 

[LaynaDon95]

I love when my hens go broody. I'm actually raising some silkies, cochins, and BOs, just so that I can have more broodies. (1 of my Bos just started laying!

) I don't understand why anyone would think it was annoying. I guess if you live somewhere it's not allowed then I understand. I can have as many chickens as my little heart want where I live, so it doesn't bother me. I'd take your unwanted broodies if we lived close to each other. The more the merrier in my opinion. =P