Newbie - Hen won't leave nesting box - no rooster around

[otterhollow]

Hello,
I'm new to the forum and new to owning our hens. I searched the forum for answers, but I'm not sure I know exactly what I'm looking for.

We got two Black Australorps about 4 weeks ago today. They are both 2 years old and very healthy. They laid immediately, even after getting into their new surroundings, and have both been laying almost an egg a day since.

We are meticulous about keeping them well fed, watered, and keeping their surroundings clean. Edith has been in her nesting box for almost 3 days now without leaving. She has been on an egg for the last two days, and this morning I pushed her off it and took it. She was a little ****** off!

From my research, it sounds like broodiness, but she hasn't been near a rooster in 4 weeks. So....this will sound very uneducated, but can she still attempt to hatch eggs even if they aren't fertile?? Is it possible that she is laying fertile eggs??

We tried to educate ourselves as much as we could before taking on the responsibility of owning, but I have to admit I'm a little stumped. Any help would be appreciated!

James

 

[Ridgerunner]

Welcome to the forum! Glad you joined us!

Whether there is a rooster around or not has nothing to do with a hen going broody. Fertile eggs has nothing to do with a hen going broody. A broody hen will try to hatch chicken, goose, duck, turkey, or pheasant eggs, ping pong balls, golf balls, plastic Easter eggs, or ceramic eggs. If none of these are available, she will use her imagination and pretend something is there.

Something triggers the hormones that cause broodiness. Roosters and eggs, let alone fertile eggs, aren’t required.

After 4 weeks, no, she is not laying fertile eggs. A hen will normally stay fertile for two weeks after a mating. Some occasionally stay fertile for three weeks. But 4 weeks, no, don’t count on it.

My test if a hen is broody enough to get eggs to hatch is that she has to spend two consecutive nights on the nest instead of roosting in her favorite spot. There are a lot of other indications that she might be broody, but I’ve had hens show those and still not be truly committed, even as far as spending one night on the nest.

Do you want her to hatch and raise chicks? If not, you need to break her from being broody.

Break a Broody Thread
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=2176186#p2176186

If you want her to hatch chicks, there are several possible ways to get fertile eggs for her. If you want to try this, get back with us and we’ll help. Remember that you will hatch males as well as females so you need a plan to deal with them.

Good luck!

 

[coffeychicks]

I would give her some fertile ones to hatch. She sounds broody to me. If no rooster in 4 weeks I would say not fertile. But hens don't know which are fertil or not.

 

[otterhollow]

Ridgerunner, thanks so much! That's exactly the info we were looking for.

Not interested in raising chicks, so it's good to know she is not laying fertile eggs!...Also not interested in a rooster. I will read the broody thread and see if I can get her off her nest. She seems otherwise healthy, so it's good to know that it may just be a hen with an attitude.

Thanks, again.