My chicken won't get off the eggs

[rotisseriejoe]

I have 4 chicken and they've been laying eggs for a couple of months. now all the sudden one hen won't get off of the eggs. should I force her out of the nest?

 

[chicklover 1998]

you have a broody, if you have a roo you can let her hatch the chicks, if you don't have a roo or don't want chicks you can force her out, or if she continually goes back then you can put her into a wire dog cage where she can't set and get warmed up you gotta keep her cool.

 

[Pyxis]

She's broody, she wants to hatch them. If you have a rooster or want to give her fertile eggs she'll hatch and raise some chicks for you. If you don't want chicks, put her in a wire bottomed cage with food and water for 48 to 72 hours and that will hopefully break her. If she goes back to the nest after that time put her back in the cage again for another round.

 

[aart]

I have 4 chicken and they've been laying eggs for a couple of months. now all the sudden one hen won't get off of the eggs. should I force her out of the nest?

Welcome to BYC!

Is she staying in the nest all night and all day?
Only getting off nest to eat, drink, and drop a huge poop?
Is she hissing and growling and maybe even pecking/biting if you come near and/or try to touch her?
Then, yeah, broody hen.


You'll need to decide if you want her to hatch out some chicks, and how you will 'manage' it.
Do you have, or can you get, some fertile eggs?
Do you have the space needed? She may need to be separated by wire from the rest of the flock.
Do you have a plan on what to do with the inevitable males? Rehome, butcher, keep in separate 'bachelor pad'?
If you decide to let her hatch out some fertile eggs, this is a great thread for reference and to ask questions.
It a long one but just start reading the first few pages, then browse thru some more at random.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/496101/broody-hen-thread

If you don't want her to hatch out chicks, best to break her promptly.
My experience went like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest, I put her in a wire dog crate with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop and I would feed her some crumble a couple times a day.

I let her out a couple times a day and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two.
Water nipple bottle added after pic was taken.