What’s going on with my chicken??

[melissaapel]

I have 3 chickens 2 are Easter eggers. All are about a year old. A couple days ago we returned from a week at the beach. Right away I noticed one of my Easter eggers would not come out of the coop. I started to realize she wasn’t laying. She gets all puffy feathered, tail feathers up, lots of clucking. I did a vent check twice and gave her an Epsom salt bath. I cannot feel any egg. She is eating and drinking ok. But I can’t figure out what’s wrong with her?

 

[MountainWoman73]

She sounds broody. When she's in the coop, is she trying to stay in a nest box?

 

[melissaapel]

She sounds broody. When she's in the coop, is she trying to stay in a nest box?

Yes, but would that cause her to not lay eggs?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Yup. She wants to hatch eggs instead, so she will sit on eggs instead of laying any more. Left to her own devices, in about 21 days, if the eggs were fertile, they would hatch. Do you have a rooster?

 

[MountainWoman73]

Yes, but would that cause her to not lay eggs?

Yeah... not sure about that. A broody will stop laying when her clutch is big enough. Not sure if they would stop anyway if you've taken all the eggs away. The one time I had a broody she was sitting on everybody's eggs but hers.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

We remove the eggs daily, and my 3 Buff Orpingtons still go broody fairly frequently. Going broody is hormonal. They'll set on an empty nest, on golf balls, fake or real eggs, whatever. Fortunately there are ways to get them out of it, as they can lose weight and condition if they persist too long with no chicks to show for their efforts.

 

[melissaapel]

Yup. She wants to hatch eggs instead, so she will sit on eggs instead of laying any more. Left to her own devices, in about 21 days, if the eggs were fertile, they would hatch. Do you have a rooster?

No rooster

 

[BigBlueHen53]

No rooster

Ok. Well. Do you need, or have room for any more chickens, or is 3 your limit?

 

[melissaapel]

Ok. Well. Do you need, or have room for any more chickens, or is 3 your limit?

I could only get one more

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I don't think you can buy just one chick anywhere, and it probably wouldn't be a good idea anyway. I think your best bet is to watch her for a few days to see if she comes out of it, and if she doesn't, do a search here on the site for how to break a broody hen.