Broody, Impacted Crop, Egg-bound? Help!

[raisingthelma]

Hello, I am worried about one of my hens... not sure what is going on with her, but behavior is definitely not "normal."

Easter Egger mix hen, 7 months old.

Yesterday (1/1/25), she was in the nesting box in the morning as usual. I came into the coop to freshen up water and give them a small amount of warm oatmeal (it is 15 degrees here). She left the box and ate, then went back to the box a bit later. When I checked on them later in the afternoon, she was back in the box, and she stayed there all night.

Today (1/2/25), I went out in the morning around 8 am, and she was still in the box. I thought maybe she was trying to lay an egg. I gave the other hens some scratch, and she came out for a little and then went back to the box. Then I saw that she was in the box for another few hours today, so I went to check on her. No poop in the box last night, no poop in the box today. When I opened the box, she squealed a little, but my hens have never been aggressive. She kind of flattened out when I went to reach for her. I took her out of the box and felt her abdomen, and it feels normal like the other hens. Her crop is super full though. When I took her out of the box and put her with the other hens, she pecked around for awhile, drank a bunch of water, and she pooped. The first one was normal - not huge, but also not mini. It was a normal poop. Then she drank more water and pooped twice, both green and liquid. She's also sticking her feathers straight up when she perches. And if you try to touch her when she goes in the box, she puffs up her feathers. I kept the boxes open with the daylight on them, and she didn't go back in but found a spot next to the box to rest and make herself puffy.

Is she broody at 7 months (laying for the last 1.5 months)? Is she egg bound? Does she have an impacted crop? She doesn't seem to be straining at all, and she isn't walking weird, and she does not have the penguin stance.

Please help! Not sure what to do!

@Eggcessive you were so helpful last time I had an issue with one of my hens. Not sure if you have thoughts on this or know anyone else who may?

 

[raisingthelma]

I checked her crop again, and while it feels big, it isn't protruding like crazy, it just feels full and can move around when you massage it. It's not rock hard, but it also isn't soft and squishy. So thinking maybe not impacted crop? I also can't feel an egg at all.

 

[Yardmom]

Your hen sounds broody. Since you sound a bit concerned about her crop, check to make sure it is empty after a night of not having access to food.
What are your plans for a broody hen?

 

[raisingthelma]

Your hen sounds broody. Since you sound a bit concerned about her crop, check to make sure it is empty after a night of not having access to food.
What are your plans for a broody hen?

She didn't really eat much today, she just kind of pecked around, but I never saw her go towards the layer feed. Her crop feels medium full? Not sure. It's not flat, but it's not bulging and hard or anything. It feels like my other chickens' crops.

 

[raisingthelma]

Your hen sounds broody. Since you sound a bit concerned about her crop, check to make sure it is empty after a night of not having access to food.
What are your plans for a broody hen?

She puffs up like this and squeals when you put your hand towards her. I also gave the hens some mealworms, and she ran out of her box to eat those. Then pooped a super small turd, and then returned to the box.

Also, I don't have plans for a broody hen. What should I do? I don't want her to be broody right now. It's going to be very cold the next week or two (20 degrees to below zero), so I'd like her to eat and drink water.

 

[Eggcessive]

The way her tail feathers are formed into an upside down V, and her behavior sound broody. Remove her from the nest and place her in a wire dog crate with food and water for 3-5 days. Do not add bedding. A flat piece of card board or plywood on the bottom is fine. Ideally I like to put them in a pen where I can put a roost board. If they have bedding, they can still make a nest. If she doesn’t break after 3 days, try 2 more.

 

[raisingthelma]

The way her tail feathers are formed into an upside down V, and her behavior sound broody. Remove her from the nest and place her in a wire dog crate with food and water for 3-5 days. Do not add bedding. A flat piece of card board or plywood on the bottom is fine. Ideally I like to put them in a pen where I can put a roost board. If they have bedding, they can still make a nest. If she doesn’t break after 3 days, try 2 more.

Thank you, @Eggcessive !!! I will do that tomorrow. Should I give her some grit and oyster shell too? Also, would it be okay to feed her some scrambled eggs? Just hope she eats, she isn't interested in the layer feed right now, but happily goes after meal worms or scratch.

 

[Mrs. K]

I would not feed her the eggs or the meal worms. Just layer feed. Not eating much is part of being broody. Until she stops being broody, she won't eat much. They go hand in hand.

Make sure she has water and layer feed at hand while in the broody box, and wait until she snaps out of it. Then she will eat.

Mrs K

 

[aart]

Remove her from the nest and place her in a wire dog crate with food and water for 3-5 days.

Something like this:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/broody-breaking-ala-aart.77915/

 

[raisingthelma]

The way her tail feathers are formed into an upside down V, and her behavior sound broody. Remove her from the nest and place her in a wire dog crate with food and water for 3-5 days. Do not add bedding. A flat piece of card board or plywood on the bottom is fine. Ideally I like to put them in a pen where I can put a roost board. If they have bedding, they can still make a nest. If she doesn’t break after 3 days, try 2 more.

Hi @Eggcessive - I isolated her in a crate since yesterday morning, but I'm worried that she isn't broody. I just have no idea. She isn't eating and drinking very little water. But weirdly her crop feels somewhat full? It's not hard, it's kind of soft. Yesterday her crop felt more hard, like there could be something stuck in it, so I did the coconut oil and massage in case it was impacted some how? I also gave her a little yogurt. I regret doing this because yesterday she was doing little poops and now she's pooping but it's liquidy and white, assuming from the yogurt and coconut oil? Nothing solid yet today, and she isn't eating anything solid like her layer feed, offered her some mealworms and she didn't want them. I tried putting her with the other chickens today for a little to see how she does. She drank some water, and then puffed up real big and laid down in the pine shavings. She closed her eyes and made a purring sound. Then she'd open them and stop. Then close them and purr again. Is this still broody behavior? Could she be broody and have a crop issue? Is she broody and just holding in what solid food she did eat to save it for later? I'm so confused about what's going on.

@Mrs. K @Yardmom Any thoughts from you two either?