Hi all,
One of my 4 hens, a barred rock, won't come out of the house where they sleep and lay. She started this suddenly, about 3 weeks ago, and now I never see her out with the others. It seems like she comes out very rarely and briefly to get water, but then goes right back in (even though it's getting very warm in there during the day). They're normally skittish, but she is completely docile. When I've pulled her out, she scratches around like normal for a few minutes then goes right back in, even when I let them all out in the garden, their favorite place. She's not laying, but it doesn't seem like she's clogged up. Please help....what should I do?

Is she broody? Is she sitting on a nest? Even if there aren't eggs in there, she could be exhibiting broody behavior. How old is she?

Susie

Yes.
It deffinately sounds like she is broody.

I'm relatively new to chickens, so forgive me if my questions are stupid. Do they suddenly become broody after not having been so before? She is on a nest, and somehow the others are getting in during the day to lay, then she sits on them. Unfortunately I don't know how old she is. Do they stop laying when they're broody? How long will this last? Do they get enough to eat and drink when this happens?

thanks, I really appreciate the advice.

Sue, they usually manage to get enough food and water to take care of them when they are broody. We had a barred rock hen that suddenly at 1 1/2 years old decided to go broody for the first time so yes, they can suddenly go broody. The hens do stop laying while they are broody. Usually the hen will stop when she hatches something but I'm not sure how long they can stay broody if they don't manage to hatch.

Yes, a broody hen will stop laying. In "nature", the cycle would go like this....spring comes, longer days, that triggers the behavior. She would lay a clutch of eggs (however many she decides is appropriate) and then sit there until they hatch, not laying again until the babies are old enough to go on their own -- about six weeks or so.

It definitely sounds like she is broody. You need to just make sure she is getting off the nest once a day to eat and drink. I don't know how this will go if you don't let her hatch eggs. I have a broody who went so far with it that she wasn't eating or drinking at all and I ended up having to force her off the nest once a day and feed her by hand. I did let her hatch eggs and as soon as the chicks hatched, she resumed normal business of getting up and about. She still isn't laying. My chicks are just over 2 weeks old now. But if yours is not going to hatch eggs, I'm not sure how long it might take her to get out of this mode. Maybe somebody else will have some advice on that point.

Susie

The 1st time my bantam hen went broody, none of her eggs hatched. I finally had to take the eggs away from her. She just sat there and became more and more depressed. I constantly had to take her off the nest for about a week. She finally broke her broodiness.

I had one go broody in the fall. i put feed and water with her on the side of the box. Candel the eggs to make sure they are fertile. Any that are not take out. The rotten eggs can cause problems for the fertile ones. Do you have a rooster? If not then they are not fertile and should be taken out.