# Sick chicken



## rrussell250 (Feb 10, 2013)

Hey guys,
I'm not sure what's going on with one of my chickens, but she doesn't seem to want to come out of the nesting box. 
I don't know if she's eating or not, she's still laying eggs though. Something just doesn't seem right, she's usually much more active than she is right now. She's a buff Orpington about 9-10 months, has been very healthy and producing eggs. This has just started yesterday. I pick her up and put her in the yard with the other three, she will peck around for a few minutes and go right back to the box. Is this normal or is there something I should be concerned with?
Any advice is greatly appreciated.


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## LittleWings (Jul 15, 2013)

She may be going broody.


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## rrussell250 (Feb 10, 2013)

What does broody mean?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

LittleWings said:


> She may be going broody.


Ditto. The age and breed are right for her to be broody.


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## LittleWings (Jul 15, 2013)

rrussell250 said:


> What does broody mean?


She is going to sit on her eggs and hatch them.


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## rrussell250 (Feb 10, 2013)

Is that bad?


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## rrussell250 (Feb 10, 2013)

Ok I see, so it's nothing detrimental, just need to move her to get to the eggs and make sure she's getting enough food and water?


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## LittleWings (Jul 15, 2013)

If you want chicks it is. Do you have a rooster?


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## rrussell250 (Feb 10, 2013)

No rooster


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## LittleWings (Jul 15, 2013)

rrussell250 said:


> Is that bad?





rrussell250 said:


> Ok I see, so it's nothing detrimental, just need to move her to get to the eggs and make sure she's getting enough food and water?


Sorry, I was on my phone.
Broody is a good thing if you want your hen to hatch chicks. Sometimes they will lay a bunch of eggs in a nest and let them add up before she starts sitting on them. When she starts sitting on them she will stop laying and stay on the nest. If you have a rooster they will be fertile and she will hatch them.

If you don't want her to sit on eggs, then broody is a bad thing. They stop laying when they are broody. Some folks would kill for a broody hen and some folks have too many. 

Yes, get the eggs from under her as soon as you can after they are laid.


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## rrussell250 (Feb 10, 2013)

Thank you so much.


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