Orpington just sits in the box

[itsmatt]

So, I've got five hens - an easter egger, two Australorps and two buff Orpingtons. They've been routinely laying 4-5 eggs a day and seem to be healthy enough. They get out of their 6x10 run several days a week for at least a few hours and overall they've been doing well.

In the past week, however, one of the Orpingtons has just been hanging out in one of the nesting boxes all the time - at least all the time that I stop by the henhouse to check on them. I don't think she has laid any eggs in the past 4 days (at least before Christmas eve) and I don't know that she's ever leaving the box - at least not for any length of time.

I opened the back of the nesting boxes up and picked her up and looked her over - she didn't see agitated or anything but definitely just wanted to sit. Typically the others will run around if I set them down. She just sat down on the ground. I looked at her feet and vent and didn't see anything interesting. It was weird that she just sat down, though.

They have plenty of food and water and the henhouse stays pretty clean (for a henhouse).

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Matt

 

[cluckychick]

When I have a broody sitting and I remove her from her box she will just sit where ever I put her until I pick her up again or she gets agitated and goes back in her box. Sounds like you may have a broody

 

[sunnydee]

One of my BO's (my biggest girl) loves to sit on the eggs. She is not broody, but she loves to go in and tuck and roll the eggs under her, sits and then proceeds to let my whole neighborhood within a mile radius know she has eggs!

 

[swtangel321]

Quote:
Sounds to me like she is broody or becoming broody !!

 

[itsmatt]

Yeah, I guess she's broody. We got her out of the box today and she eventually went off to join the others sunning themselves in the front yard. She was sitting on one of the other bird's eggs.

Thanks for the replies,
Matt