Staying in the nest box

[farmkat55]

I have 6 hens and 1 sweet rooster. They are Buff Orps and lately, I have 2 hens that seem to stay in the nest boxes most of the day! I check them several times a day, there are no eggs under them or in the boxes at all. There are several eggs in the other nest box where I am assuming someone else, or the rest, are going to lay their eggs! LOL Do they go broody even if there are no eggs? I have seen, to my amusement, one of the other hens standing below the boxes "yelling" up at the ones in the boxes as if to say..."get out, it's my turn and I need to lay an egg!" It's funny. Especially since there is still an empty nest box that is available! But...should I block the boxes at night like I did in the beginning when they liked to sleep in them? Should I make them get out in the daytime? These are my first chickens and I got them last Spring so they are about a year old.

 

[Mckennas poultry]

Sounds to me like they’re broody
Do they puff up, growl when you go near them ?

 

[Ridgerunner]

A hen does not need eggs to go broody. That sounds like what is going on. My test to see if a hen is truly broody and worthy of eggs is that she spends two consecutive nights on the nest instead of roosting in her normal spot. There are other signs that they might be broody or thinking about going broody but the two consecutive night test has worked for me.

Do you want one or both to hatch eggs or do you want to break then from being broody? Let us know so maybe we can help.

 

[aart]

My test to see if a hen is truly broody and worthy of eggs is that she spends two consecutive nights on the nest instead of roosting in her normal spot.

About the same here, then she has to do it again on fake eggs when I move her to the separate brooding area that I like to use.

You'll need to decide if you want her to hatch out some chicks, and how you will 'manage' it.
Do you have, or can you get, some fertile eggs?
Do you have the space needed? Both for more chickens and she may need to be separated by wire from the rest of the flock.
Do you have a plan on what to do with the inevitable males? Rehome, butcher, keep in separate 'bachelor pad'?
If you decide to let her hatch out some fertile eggs, this is a great thread for reference and to ask questions.
It's a long one but just start reading the first few pages, then browse thru some more at random.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/496101/broody-hen-thread


If you don't want her to hatch out chicks, best to break her broodiness promptly.
My experience went like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest, I put her in a wire dog crate with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop with feed and water.

I used to let them out a couple times a day or just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.
Feed and water added after pic was taken.

 

[Mckennas poultry]

How would shipped eggs do under a broody hen ? I heard they have to be upright in the incubator.... I’m thinking of getting some Brahma eggs to put under my broody RIR

 

[Ridgerunner]

Probably as well as in an incubator. I've had horrible hatch rates with shipped eggs, I once had a 100% hatch with shipped eggs. Both were in an incubator.

You don't now what temperatures the eggs have been exposed to when shipping. That can cause some problems but those will be the same whether in an incubator or under a broody. The big issue though is usually how badly they are shaken. Has that messed up the air cell? That's why a standard recommendation is to store shipped eggs upright for a day before you start them to give them time to settle. But after that, whether in an incubator where you stand the eggs, an incubator where you lay them down, or under a broody I'd treat them like any other eggs.

 

[Mckennas poultry]

Thanks for the advice, Ill have them upright at room temperature for a day and then I’ll put them under my broody

 

[farmkat55]

Wow...I appreciate all the wisdom! Oh yeah, they have been in there for more than 3 days and nights! I really don't want them to hatch eggs and I pick up eggs several times a day anyway. Haven't found any under these girls. Yes, they do kind of growl and make noises when I'm checking on them...and reaching under them! LOL They are so sweet though and don't get nasty. I can pick them up out of the nest boxes with no problem. I didn't know if it would bother them "emotionally" if I moved them outside. I know, sounds crazy but I didn't know! My problem is I am having shoulder surgery on May 4th and will be out of commission for awhile, and hubby is taking over my chores as well as his (horses, goats, dogs etc), plus works 10 hr days ...so is there a simpler way to do this? I can block the boxes at night, but that won't work in the daytime when the others lay eggs, too. I let them all out into the run in the mornings but leave their little door open during the day. Do they get over this after a time? Sorry, this is new to me!

 

[farmkat55]

Also, it's ok to leave them in a crate all day, with food and water? I was thinking it may be the same as them sitting in a nest box all day and night, right? Also, unfortunately, I have a gaggle of crates but they are all enclosed. The only wire one is a HUGE one that is for my 100+ Pyrenees to sleep in at times! So...I guess if worse comes to worse, I could drag it out into the run and they can stay there all day. But it won't fit into their 2 part coop. Any idea how long it takes to break them?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Also, it's ok to leave them in a crate all day, with food and water? I was thinking it may be the same as them sitting in a nest box all day and night, right? Any idea how long it takes to break them?

Yes it's fine to leave them in the crate with food and water until they're broken, and it's far easier to do it that way than constantly run out to the coop to remove them from the nest or having to block and unblock boxes.

It's not the same as sitting in the nest box... if they continue to stay in the nest box they will be broody for weeks, which leads to weight loss (they eat less) and missing feathers (from tearing them out of their belly).

I'd say on average breaking a broody takes around 3 days, but I've had it take 5 days and I've broken one as short as 2 days.