Sitting in nesting box for hours.

[Smpino72]

Hi all! I have a chocolate Orpington that can’t seem to lay her egg. Yesterday was in the nesting box for a few hours a couple of times. So last evening we gave her an epsom salt bath and I gently massaged her. She went back out to run and started eating again. Today she’s back in the box again and has been for about 4 hours. How can I help her get the egg out or is this normal? She is 5 1/2 months old and has been laying successfully until yesterday. I cannot see the egg coming out and vent looks fine.

 

[sourland]

Are you certain that she is not going broody?

 

[SilverBirds]

Looks like she's gone broody, meaning she wants to hatch eggs and be a mama. It's a very common trait in Orpingtons. You can either break her by putting her in Broody Jail or you can give her fertile eggs to sit on.

 

[Smpino72]

Are you certain that she is not going broody?

This is my first time raising hens. So possibly. Should I get her out of box and block off? There are no eggs under her.

 

[Smpino72]

This is my first time raising hens. So possibly. Should I get her out of box and block off? There are no eggs under her.

She sounds like a T-Rex when I open the lid!!!

 

[sourland]

She sounds like a T-Rex when I open the lid!!!

She's broody. Cage her away from the nest site until her broodiness breaks. She's young to be broody already. Get ready for a lifetime of this.