[Little jack]

 :mellow:Hi all, one of my girl's is acting in a very strange way.Just wondered if anyone had any idea,s what's up with her.
She never leave's the nest box day or night, she is not sitting on any egg's and when i do throw her out she puff's up and run's of to the dust bath for a few min's.If any of the other hen's are near her they try to peck her.She then make's a sharp exit back to the nest box.Do you think she is broody is this normal ??
Thanks Jackie.

[sarah f]

its normal lol shes broody 

[hillfooter]

That's very typical broody behaviour and the others pecking her are trying to tell her to go back on the nest.  All the hens in a flock will contribute to a clutch of eggs which is why they all like to use one nestbox.  Usually one or two specific hens have the job of sitting for the flock and it's always the same hens who do this.  You should periodically lift her off so she gets a chance to eat and drink and do her ablutions,  Once off the nest she'll chuck regularly puff herself up and generally be deferential to the others as if saying "I'll be going back in a minute".  Observing their little behavioural traits and trying to understand them is one of the most interesting aspects of chicken keeping.  I have a broody who if you lift of the nestbox picks up lengths of straw and dry grass and tosses them over her head.  I've not worked out why and it's only one hen I've noticed doing this.  Maybe it's a message to the rest to say she'll soon be back tending their nest.
HF

[carolbriar]

Hi Little Jack, one of my hens is doing a very similar thing.  Sitting in the nest box all day with no eggs underneath her.  If I lift her out she scratches the ground and pecks but isn't eating, she fluffs up and if I scatter food on the ground she will eat some, have a drink, dust bath and then straight back into the nest box.  I have been trying to lift her out and encourage her to stay out.  I will keep trying to keep her out.

[joyfull]

get hold of a metal cage (dog cage type of thing) and put the broody in there for a couple of days with just layers and water - this will soon get her over being broody 

[hillfooter]

Yes the secret to breaking her broodiness is to not give her comfortable sitting conditions and cool her.
HF

[Little jack]

Thanks for the advice, yes she also does that strange thing , when i lift her up out of the nest box she try's to cover herself with shavings.I will keep trying to get her out as much as possiable now i know all is normal - thanks again.

[carolbriar]

Unfortunately a friend of ours has our dog cage  She lives across the water from us so can't get it until they come over here at the end of this month  I will have to see if anyone else I know has one we can borrow for a couple of days.