Sick chicken or Broody? Please help!!

[chickcrush]

My one year old Brahma chicken is acting strangely. She laid an egg today but doesn't want to leave the nest box. I felt her abdomen and it doesn't seem as if she had and egg stuck, either. When I touch her she ruffles her feathers and makes a sound like a horse neighing, if you can imagine that. I gently lifted her and pushed her out of the nest box and she acted as if she couldn't/didn't want to stand. At dark when the other two chickens were roosting, she did not join them. What to do?

 

[babsbag]

I think she is a broody hen. Mine would only leave the nest when I would kick them out and then they would eat, drink, and poop HUGH poops and run back to the nest. They would not roost at night.

When they puff and hiss and you that is a pretty good sign that they are broody.

 

[MaureenL128]

Yes sounds like she is broody. My black cornish stopped laying eggs for about 4 months and wouldn't come out of the box. We had to kick her out to make sure she would eat. And when she was first out of the box, she sould just lay there for a minute. We thought she was egg bound for a bit but she was ok.

 

[chickcrush]

Thanks. I feel a bit better. And she is still alive this am.

We did take the egg she was sitting on; should we provide her a golf ball?

 

[chickcrush]

OK, I take back my silly question about providing a golf ball. Just read up on broodiness and will do my best to discourage it! Thanks!