Chicken acting weird all of a sudden

[daniel1005]

On Saturday one of my hens started acting weird. I went up to them at 9am and she was in the nesting box as usual. Went back again at 12:30 noon she was still there. So just left it and an hour later checked again and she was there again. She never does this because she wants to be in and out asap so she doesn't miss anything. She did the same on Sunday. She sits there I feel underneath her she's layed an egg. She's not broody because she lets you get her out and put her down and she goes racing off to the corn ive put out and once you get her out she stays out. then tonight I went up and she's just sitting there doesn't move for corn which is unusual when she hasn't had any all day and she loves it. Is it the sudden cold weather? Is she trying to keep warm by remaining still, sitting down etc.

Oh and I have checked her over for anything, including her vent everythings usual and well. Also we just have hens there is no rooster.

 

[Marigold]

It sounds to me as if she is probably going broody. When a hen is fully broody, she will resist being removed from the nest, but going broody is a hormonal condition which in many cases comes on gradually as the hormones develop in her system over several days. From my own experience with my Buff Sussex, who has gone broody four times this summer, if I can treat her as soon as I'm sure about the early signs, she recovers within a couple of days, stops sitting in the nestbox, and returns to lay within 10-14 days. But if a hen is left until fully broody, the process of retiurning her to normal by isolating her and 'sinbinning' will take longer and will be more difficult to achieve. It's best to get on with this ASAP because, if she is allowed to go fully broody with no prospect of sitting on hatching eggs, she will spend days or weeks sitting, with little food and exercise, and her health will suffer. Also of course she won't return to lay until the process is sorted out.
Do you know how best to treat her, if you decide this is probably what she is doing? Do ask if you need help with this.

 

[Chuck]

On the brink of broody I think too.

 

[chrismahon]

Silent broody I think too Daniel. She should develop to full blown ruffled feathers and warning squalks soon. We have three broodies at the moment and I thought it was a bit late in the season -obviously not. Mind you they are TNN's !