Semi-broody??

[TooCheep]

I really don't think this is a problem, but I've never seen anything like it before and would like to know if anyone has any insight...

I have a 9-chicken flock. The youngest 3 are 12-month old Buff Orpingtons. One of them heads to the nest box early every morning and likes to spend 4-6 hours there each day. Whenever another girl comes to the nest area, she'll puff up and gives an odd trill, which I believe is defending her nest box. When she finally does come out, she acts normally and interacts fine with the other girls.

She is active, healthy and laying normally, but is at the bottom of the pecking order, so does get picked on some during the day. I'm certainly familiar with hens taking their time in the nest boxes, but this is much longer, consistent, but not all day like a broody. Any thoughts?

 

[sourland]

She may be pre broody, or perhaps she has found a 'place' where she feels higher in the pecking order.

 

[TooCheep]

She may be pre broody, or perhaps she has found a 'place' where she feels higher in the pecking order.

I was wondering if this is her "safe space".

 

[Ridgerunner]

Is she laying eggs while in there?

I had a Speckled Sussex like that. Most of my hens are quite happy to share a nest box by laying but that Speckled Sussex would not share a nest. Most of my hens lay an egg around a half hour after being in the nest but that SS took about three hours. No sharing for that length of time. She was not at the bottom of the pecking order but was not very sociable. Sort of standoffish.

When it was time to get down to my smaller winter flock she made one of my decisions a lot easier. Almost as if she volunteered.

 

[WingItRanch]

I have a hen like this. I think she just likes her alone time away from the flock. She lays regularly and no issues. She's not broody and will roost every night and forage with the rest of them but enjoys a couple hours of "me time" in the nest box. I don't really blame her...

 

[TooCheep]

Is she laying eggs while in there?

Yes, she is laying basically daily. Not sure how long she takes to lay because I haven't wanted to disturb her any more than necessary.

Fortunately I have sufficient nest boxes that sharing is a fairly rare event, so the long rest time isn't really causing any problems. Just a curious behavior.

 

[BoundlessLove]

I have a Rhode Island Red that does this. She isn’t broody and she is laying eggs.
The RIR hens seem to be my roosters’ favorites. Redheads!
So she’s probably trying to get a break.

 

[TooCheep]

No roosters here, but my only real theory is she spends time there to avoid being picked on as the bottom-ranked hen.