Overly broody hen

[peewee918]

I have a 9 month old orpington hen that refuses to get out of her box even though she does not still have an egg in it! It's the craziest thing. I took the egg out almost a week ago and she will not get out of the darn box or even lay another egg! I was worried she wasn't eating so every day I take her out of the box and put her in front of the waterer and feeder. She'll eat and drink, make a few noises which I can only assume is her indignation towards me and will then go back to the same exact box. When I go up to her she starts ruffling up her feathers at me and cackling. Is something wrong with her? I would let her try to hatch some one elses egg but I have children unfortunately that like to go in there and pick up eggs and I can't get them to leave an egg with her. Of course they are only 3 years old! Lol!

 

[gryeyes]

A broody hen will indeed sit on air (nothing, no eggs) while she's in the throws of the hormonal shift to broodiness.

It doesnt matter if she doesnt have fertilized eggs or any eggs at all. Is there some way you can convince your enthusiastic egg gatherers to leave that one chicken on the nest alone?

 

[Minniechickmama]

Personally, I just keep taking them off the nest and putting them outside over and over and over. They gotta eat and hopefully this stage will pass in time. It is no big deal to me to have to pull them off every time I am out there. Eventually they have to break. That is unless you want them to hatch a few eggs and it will bring them out of the nest. I have a Silkie hen raising her second 'batch'? one chick this time. She no more than got separated from her first 2 and started laying again and went broody all over again. I let her have one egg and she hatched it and now has it in the pen running around with her. This is like a wild Silkie though, we can't catch it until we catch the momma. It is the cutest little bugger and has been the easiest chick to raise cuz I don't have to do a thing! Wish I could hatch them all this way.

 

[peewee918]

I've tried sooooo many times telling the kids to leave her eggs alone! Lol! They just enjoy picking up the eggs. I open up the coop once I'm home from work to let them free range and if I'm not careful or watching, the kids go in there and take her egg out and put it in the fridge. If I could get her to sit on the egg in one of the top boxes the kids wouldn't be able to get to the egg. She loves the bottom boxes though! I'd like to let her hatch some eggs. It would be a neat experience for my son.