My hen is acting strange...

[AwesomeChickenGuy]

I have a hen who just started laying around the beginning of this month. She seemed normal, but around 3 days ago, she started just sitting in the coop on her eggs. But, I took away her egg one day and now she's just sitting in the coop. Is that normal?

 

[Kiki]

Can you take a video of her...make sure you try to pet her in the video, please.

 

[Lollychicken]

Sounds like she's broody. Does she get angry when you go near her (like squawk or fluff up)

 

[AwesomeChickenGuy]

Sounds like she's broody. Does she get angry when you go near her (like squawk or fluff up)

She fluffs up

 

[rosemarythyme]

She's broody if she shows multiple of these signs: sitting in the nests all day, sitting on nests all night (when she normally would be roosting), puffs up or flattens down when you reach into the nest, has a bare patch on her belly, makes a tik-tik-tik sound instead of her normal sounds.

If so, you should decide if you want to let her hatch or you want to break the behavior.

 

[TONYPUENTE]

She's broody if she shows multiple of these signs: sitting in the nests all day, sitting on nests all night (when she normally would be roosting), puffs up or flattens down when you reach into the nest, has a bare patch on her belly, makes a tik-tik-tik sound instead of her normal sounds.

If so, you should decide if you want to let her hatch or you want to break the behavior.

I have a hen that is doing the same thing. She won't leave the nest box and the other chickens have to lay elsewhere. She also has been pecking at her vent area too. How do you break the habit?

 

[rosemarythyme]

How do you break the habit?

Broody jail: Put her in an isolation cage with some food and water, in sight of the others (in the coop if it's not too hot or in/near the run is ideal). A wire cage elevated to air flow under her would be the best option, however I've used everything from a brooder to a dog exercise pen.

Keep her in the cage around the clock for about 2 days. At that time, if she's shows fewer signs of broodiness (puffing up, flattening down and growling, tik tik tik noise) you can let her out to test her. If she runs back to the nest at any point (usually they don't do it immediately, but maybe after 15 minutes, maybe an hour) then she's not yet sufficiently broken and needs to go back to the cage for another 24 hours. Then let her out and test her again. Repeat until she's no longer going to the nest box.

IF the isolation cage is not safe for overnight stay (i.e. sits outside the run) then put her on the roost at night, and retrieve her from the nest box the next morning and put her back in the cage. It may take a little longer this way but better than letting a predator get to her.

Good luck!

 

[TONYPUENTE]

Broody jail: Put her in an isolation cage with some food and water, in sight of the others (in the coop if it's not too hot or in/near the run is ideal). A wire cage elevated to air flow under her would be the best option, however I've used everything from a brooder to a dog exercise pen.

Keep her in the cage around the clock for about 2 days. At that time, if she's shows fewer signs of broodiness (puffing up, flattening down and growling, tik tik tik noise) you can let her out to test her. If she runs back to the nest at any point (usually they don't do it immediately, but maybe after 15 minutes, maybe an hour) then she's not yet sufficiently broken and needs to go back to the cage for another 24 hours. Then let her out and test her again. Repeat until she's no longer going to the nest box.

IF the isolation cage is not safe for overnight stay (i.e. sits outside the run) then put her on the roost at night, and retrieve her from the nest box the next morning and put her back in the cage. It may take a little longer this way but better than letting a predator get to her.

Good luck!

Thank you!

 

[AwesomeChickenGuy]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/16dPnG6Q4xSEBLCGDk_5kIag-Xw6zBUUK/view?usp=sharing
@Kiki sorry for the late reply

 

[Kiki]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/16dPnG6Q4xSEBLCGDk_5kIag-Xw6zBUUK/view?usp=sharing
@Kiki sorry for the late reply

Are you going to let her sit on eggs?