My hen stopped laying

[noconachickenmama]

I have a 6 1/2 month old copper marans who has been laying daily. She stopped about 3 days ago, maybe 4. Shes acting broody, hiding in the coop and staying on the nest, but theres nothing under her but a golf ball, which I took away yesterday. We had jiked that she was hiding from the roosters because we had 2 and only 4 hens but I rehome 1 two days ago. Should I worry about her? She comes out to eat and drink then goes back.

 

[azygous]

Sounds like she's broody. What she has or doesn't have under her isn't material. If her hormones tell her to sit in a nest all day and night, you can put her anywhere, and she'll hunker down.

Other ways to tell if a hen is broody is if you try to touch her she will puff up and screech at you, maybe try to take the fingers off your hand. When you take her off the nest, does she emit a rapid popping noise? Check the feathers along her keel bone. Are they missing and large strips of bald skin showing?

 

[Ridgerunner]

My test as to whether a hen is broody or not is what does she do at night. If she spends two consecutive nights on the nest instead of in her normal roosting spot I consider her worthy of hatching eggs. There are a lot of signs that she might be broody and I've had hens that gave off all of them that did not deserve eggs.

As Azygous said, when the hormones hit a broody hen will set on real chicken eggs, fake eggs, turkey or duck eggs, door knobs, or just on her imagination.

Do you want her to hatch eggs or raise baby chicks? If you do and need help with that, let us know. If you do not give her eggs or baby chicks you should break her from being broody. We can help you with that too if you need it.

 

[noconachickenmama]

My test as to whether a hen is broody or not is what does she do at night. If she spends two consecutive nights on the nest instead of in her normal roosting spot I consider her worthy of hatching eggs. There are a lot of signs that she might be broody and I've had hens that gave off all of them that did not deserve eggs.

As Azygous said, when the hormones hit a broody hen will set on real chicken eggs, fake eggs, turkey or duck eggs, door knobs, or just on her imagination.

Do you want her to hatch eggs or raise baby chicks? If you do and need help with that, let us know. If you do not give her eggs or baby chicks you should break her from being broody. We can help you with that too if you need it.

I guess shes broody. She is puffing up and kinda growling when I touch her. I do want chicks...I have some in an incubator now. I guess I could give her a few eggs and see how she does.

 

[Ridgerunner]

You have a couple of options. If you give her eggs mark them (I use a black Sharpie) so you can identify them and check under her once a day after they have all laid to remove any that don't belong. Sometimes other hens will lay with a broody or, believe it or not, a broody might move an egg to her nest. as long as you remove hem every day they are good to use.

Another option is to let her set on "sacrificial" eggs until the incubator chicks hatch, then give some of the incubator chicks to her to raise. Not sure how many you are talking about.

I typically combine the two. When I put eggs under a broody I also put some in the incubator. When they hatch I give them all to the broody hen to raise. I've had things happen to eggs under a broody, For instance a snake ate them out from under her once. Really creepy.

I learned to do this the hard way. My 3-year-old at the time Granddaughter was going to visit so I started eggs under a broody to hatch when she was there. None of those eggs hatched, one thin-shelled egg broke and coated all the others with gunk. I I had started some in the incubator I would have had chicks.

 

[Bigbluefrog]

You have a couple of options. If you give her eggs mark them (I use a black Sharpie) so you can identify them and check under her once a day after they have all laid to remove any that don't belong. Sometimes other hens will lay with a broody or, believe it or not, a broody might move an egg to her nest. as long as you remove hem every day they are good to use.

Another option is to let her set on "sacrificial" eggs until the incubator chicks hatch, then give some of the incubator chicks to her to raise. Not sure how many you are talking about.

I typically combine the two. When I put eggs under a broody I also put some in the incubator. When they hatch I give them all to the broody hen to raise. I've had things happen to eggs under a broody, For instance a snake ate them out from under her once. Really creepy.

I learned to do this the hard way. My 3-year-old at the time Granddaughter was going to visit so I started eggs under a broody to hatch when she was there. None of those eggs hatched, one thin-shelled egg broke and coated all the others with gunk. I I had started some in the incubator I would have had chicks.

At what age do they go broody? And what is a keel? Thanks
Good luck with your hen! Mine have slowed down laying eggs and I am curious too. I don’t think any are broody. Although one sat a good hour on the fake eggs and didn’t lay an egg. mine are 9 months old. Hope your chicks hatch and look forward to seeing the cuties!