My broody hen?

[niccichick]

Hi Everyone;

This is Nicci Chick. My hens are weathering our hot So. Cal. summer pretty well. I do have a buffy hen ("Silly") whom I need help with, though. About 2 weeks ago she decided that she "owned" one of the laying boxes up in their hen house. She sits in it all day every day. Whenever any other hen or any of us people come near her she "cacks" at us and puffs herself up and refuses to get up or to leave. She seems to be very protective of that box, but is not actively laying in it; although she treats the golfball I put in there to encourge laying as it if is her baby. I had to put a golfball in each laying box to encourage my girls to return to laying there as opposed to deep under our blackberry bush which left all of us who collected eggs quite scratched up. All the girls are once again laying in the boxes, but Silly won't give up her box. I have palpated her abdomen and she does not feel hard and does not seem to be in pain. She is just plain grouchy! Her comb has become light pink and she won't even leave the box for sunflower seeds and mealworms. When I put sunflower seeds and worms right in front of her she just stares at me as if offended. She does not seem to be moulting, she just seems moody. Is this normal in hot weather? Should I remove the goldballs? Should I bar entrance to the nesting boxes for a few days to make her break this habit? I'd appreciate any helpful advice anyone would care to share.

Blessings,
Nicci Chick

 

[sumi]

Hello and welcome to BYC

Sounds like your hen is broody. Give her some eggs to hatch?

 

[1muttsfan]

Hi and welcome to BYC from northern Michigan

Yep, she is broody. If do a search for it you will come up with different methods for breaking her broodiness.

 

[weimarmama]

&

from Alabama. Glad you joined us. Definitely sounds like you've got a broody

 

[liz9910]

Hi,

also from California! You've got yourself a broody hen.

Elizabeth

 

[brahmakid11]

 

[4-H chicken mom]

Hi and from Ohio. So glad to have you aboard. I agree with the otheres.

 

[niccichick]

Thanks so much everyone. Yes, she's still on the golf ball and is grouchy as all get out. We aren't allowed to have roosters in my city, so none of the laid eggs will every get fertilized and I really don't want to add any more chicks at this time. Got any other ideas? I took away all the golf balls and tomorrow I am going to shut her out of the hen house so she has to free range for the day with the flock. The others are happy to lay in two other tiny tucked away nesting boxes I've stashed under one of our dwarf citrus trees and under our berry bushes, so the rest of the flock won't miss a place to lay during the day. I'm thinking that this may break her habit and get her drinking and eating well again. I palpated her abdomen and she feels fine. I think she's laying regularly and just switching back and forth between the nesting boxes in the hen house when she does this. If removing her ability to get to the box she seems to want to own works then great. If not, I'm not sure what to do because I don't want to let her hatch eggs at this time. I'd appreciate any input.

Blessings,
NIccichick