Suzanne..acting weird..Is she in a Brood phase?

[firehog]

Suzanne, one of my older chickens (at least 8 years old) was still laying eggs occasionally but now is just sitting on the nesting box. She is not laying but hogging the favorite box where the other hens lay and now they are unhappy.

She seems to be in a trance like state of mind and I can pick her up out of the box which she would not allow before since she is not really a lap chicken and does not like being touched. She has a deep guttural clucking voice and when I put her down outside with the other chickens, she keeps making this weird clucking sound and she ruffles her neck feathers up and then she will suddenly dash back into the coop and get on the nesting box.

I am concerned she is not eating and drinking enough and it is hot here in Idaho. If she is broody, how long does this phase last and any way to break her out of it? Is it a hormonal thing maybe now that she is finally stopping laying eggs?

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[sumi]

I had a 6yo hen go broody twice over a 4 month period, so it's quite possible, in spite of her age, that she is indeed broody. It does sound like it, from her behaviour. You can break her broodiness by placing her in a wire bottom cage with only food and water, no nesting materials, for a few days. 3-4 Days should be enough.