Sick Girl!! She's not Egg bound - so what's going on??

[jewel4one]

Help!! I have a hen who for the last three days will not leave her nest box, unless forced to, wont roost at night, and hasnt laid in three days. We thought maybe she was egg bound, and did the warm water treatment, but nothing. She does not look sick or droopy. When we do make her get out of the box, she will eat, drink and poop (looks normal), but has her feathers very fluffed constantly. She'll flap her wings and caw and shake them out, and she is also doing a continuous clucking sound, and seems nervous...wants to get back into the box asap. the other two hens seem unusually mean - lots of pecking when shes out. This is totally new for all of them, usuallly all very friendly to each other.
Any ideas????

 

[jewel4one]

ok, did some reading on other peoples issues and think i may have figured this out...she's broody? everything seems to fit...she does not appear sick, just wants to sit in her nest box. Anyone know how long this might last?

 

[Chicken Goddess]

She would be scared and injured from the other chickens pecking her. Try giving her some garlic, that usually cures some diseases and kills worms in them. feed her some garlic juice through a syringe. Give her some shell grit, that helps with the eggs process, she COULD have a stuck egg or cracked egg inside her. Get her checked up by a vet.

Hope this helps

Hope she gets better

 

[casportpony]

Probably broody, but sometimes a hen will act broody when there is actually a problem with their reproductive tract.

-Kathy

 

[casportpony]

Question... How do you know she's not egg bound?

-Kathy

 

[Henly11]

Broody

 

[jewel4one]

Thanks so much for all your responses...i don't believe she is egg bound because besides just sitting in the box, she is alert, eating/drinking and pooping normally. i have been getting her out of the box in the am/pm, before and after work and she seems ok, besides being a bit nervous. How long does the broody period (if that's what it is) last?

 

[jewel4one]

...also, if she is just broody, but hasn't laid now for days, should i worry about that or is that part of the broody process?

 

[realsis]

No.I also have a broody right now. she also has not laid for days. Its part of being broody. make sure she can reach her food and water and she should be fine.I noticed mine will get off the nest a couple times a day to eat and drink. Make sure yours is doing that. If not take her off the nest and bring her to the food and water . she should be fine. They also will save up a big poop and let that go when they get up to eat.you probly noticed that. Its normal for a broody to do that
She also might pluck out her chest feathers and line her nest with them. That's also broody behavior. Hope this helped some. Good luck. Best wishes.

 

[ten chicks]

...also, if she is just broody, but hasn't laid now for days, should i worry about that or is that part of the broody process?

If she is not hatching eggs,then you need to break her of being broody. Never leave a hen to sit and sit,it is dangerous to her health. To break a broody hen,you need to put her in a cage with a wire bottom,air has to circulate on her breast,under her. The idea is to cool her down,broodiness is tied to elevated body temp. Keep her somewhere where she can see light,because hens love the dark to sit on eggs,you what to do the opposite of what she wants.. Make sure she has food and water. Leave her for a few days,then let her out,if she runs right back to her nest,she is still broody,repeat process. When she is done with broodiness,she will no longer run to nest,and will resume happy chickens scratching etc. The longer she is broody,the longer it will take to break her.