My hen is setting in her nest box all the time!

[Archambault56]

how can I get my hen to stop setting in her nest box? When she began laying, she would lay an egg and then walk away allowing me to just walk in and grab it. Now she is just sitting in her box for a large portion of the day. i have puled her out, and when i do this she will sit on the coop floor for a minute then get up and walk around, eat, and scratch around in the run like she used to do. Is this normal? Or should i just let her be? Any help or insight would be much appreciated. thanks all. :/

 

[chicknmania]

She might be broody, or in a false broody cycle. Is she setting on eggs or just the empty nest? If she's setting on an empty nest or infertile eggs, she will break the broody cycle herself eventually, but if you want to speed up the process, what we usually do is take the hen off the nest and put her in a pen so she can't get back to the nest. And then we feed her up if we need to, sometimes they lose weight from doing that, so we give her special food and treats, etc. After three days or so, she's back to normal, and we can let her out, and she won't return to the nest for long periods like that. Do you have a rooster? If so, and she's setting on eggs and you want the chicks, just leave her alone, because the chances are good that the eggs will be fertile. The chicks will take 21 days, on an average with a bit of variation, to hatch. The hen doesn't need help, she will keep herself supplied with food and water from the resources you are providing. She will set for long periods but will get off the nest long enough to eat, drink, relieve herself, and stretch..you just might not see her doing that.

 

[donrae]

The big question is does she stay on the box at night? If yes, then she's broody and her body is telling her to set on eggs to hatch them. You then need to decided.....do you want chicks and do you have fertile eggs? If not, there are several threads on here with different methods to break a broody hen.

If she's not staying on the box during the day, I'd just let her be. I've had hens hang out in the box for several hours at a time, no problems. Sometimes they lay, sometimes they don't.

 

[Cknldy]

my bg girl looked like this yesterday. She gently pecked at my daughter when she went to pet her although they've always been sweet. Tuxedo just started laying on the 21st so even though bg's are known for broodiness i thought it was too soon for that. After telling everyone to leave her be cuz she obviously didn't want to be touched right now we got this:

If your girl isn't sitting on eggs and hasn't laid any in a few days- eggbound maybe? I'd try the above suggestion if she's still laying.

 

[Cknldy]

Sorry, I meant chickmania's suggestion as the one above got in there b4 mine posted

 

[chicknmania]

Young hens won't necessarily stay on the nest ALL the time, like through the night, if they're broody. We've had some that were just undecided and got on and off
the nest for long stretches over a period of days..

Most likely yours is no big deal. Hens will do that.

 

[chicknmania]

my bg girl looked like this yesterday. She gently pecked at my daughter when she went to pet her although they've always been sweet. Tuxedo just started laying on the 21st so even though bg's are known for broodiness i thought it was too soon for that. After telling everyone to leave her be cuz she obviously didn't want to be touched right now we got this:If your girl isn't sitting on eggs and hasn't laid any in a few days- eggbound maybe? I'd try the above suggestion if she's still laying.

Nice nest box!

 

[Cknldy]

This coop was a great for summer but do it fast b4 winter coop for 2 bg's since my rir hens were worse than their roo when I tried slowly introducing them. 2×4 side but hens still manage to push out the hay! Funny how rir boxes are boxed in more but they roost on side, pooping in nest at night. Bg's actually use their roost and rarely poop in the open boxes. Op- how's it going with your hen?

 

[CluckAcres]

Is your eggs fertile? If you want baby chicks i would leave her to sit. If not you will have to take her eggs. If she is pecking you then put a glove on and try it that way. I would give her a few days and see if she is still wanting to sit.

 

[chickencrazy989]

it sounds like she is broody,make sure that there is not any eggs under her
some hens will pretend to lay in a nestbox but them don't lay an egg

put your hand under her and see if it is warm and then look to see if see riggles to try and warm your hand up,if so she is broody.