My hen will not leave her nesting box.

[Buckleychickusa]

My hen is eight months old and used to be my most active bird of the three that I have. For the last few days, she has been spending all of her waking and sleeping hours in her nesting box. We are worried about her. She is not even going on the roosting bar at night. Any ideas?

 

[iluvpeeps]

Have you checked under her to see if she's sitting on eggs? One of my hens have done that before and it turns out that she was hatching some eggs.

 

[koakritters]

^second that... DO you happen to have a rooster? If so, it might be time to start preparing for some new chicks. definitely check to see if there's some eggs under her- just watch out that she doesn't bite! some get very protective of eggs.

 

[Blondiechic]

Mine have done that before even though I have taken the eggs out, I would put her outside for food and water and back in she would go! Eventually I locked her out of the house for a bit and she went back to normal...

 

[donrae]

Sounds like she's broody. Has she flattened herself out like a chicken pancake? Does she growl and peck at you if you go to mess with her?Those are signs of broodiness. You'll need to decide if you want her to hatch out chicks, if you have a rooster.

 

[jak2002003]

That hen is broody.

You have 2 options here.

1. let her hatch out some fertile eggs.
2. Take her out of the nest box and keep her in a large dog crate or similar cage, with food and water, and a wire grid floor. In just under a week you can let her out and she should have stopped being broody.

(in the cage don't put any bedding in - otherwise she will make a nest in there and stay broody - but its a good idea to provide a branch for a roost at night).