Chicken staying in nesting box, chuffing continuously when approached and puffs out feathers

[jgunter12]

I have 4 golden sex links that have grown up together since chicks. They are 1 year 3 months old now. One had been hanging out in the nesting box for a couple days and would get out when I would force her out as we don’t have a rooster and are not attempting to hatch eggs. She makes a continuous chuffing noise and makes her feathers/neck feathers stand up when approached but allows me to pet her ect. I took her out of there and placed her in a dog kennel with food and water, today is day two of this. The other three chickens attack her if she is out in the open. She appears to be eating and drinking fine. Droppings look normal. Her comb does have some scabs on it. She doesn’t appear to have any respiratory symptoms. Could this be broody behavior or some illness?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Broody.

 

[Perris]

x2; you've got a broody hen.

 

[jgunter12]

x2; you've got a broody hen.

Thanks! That’s what I was leaning towards but then got to thinking what if she’s sick and isolating herself and that was why the others attack her anytime they are able to. I’m assuming that’s due to her absence tho while she was in the nesting box and now they’ll have to re-establish the pecking order

 

[jgunter12]

x2; you've got a broody hen.

Thanks!!

 

[Perris]

Thanks! That’s what I was leaning towards but then got to thinking what if she’s sick and isolating herself and that was why the others attack her anytime they are able to. I’m assuming that’s due to her absence tho while she was in the nesting box and now they’ll have to re-establish the pecking order

sometimes other hens get cross with broodies in the flock. I've not read any studies on it, so I don't know why it happens, but it's never vicious in my experience, just an assertion of dominance by a hen who may feel threatened by impending new arrivals, or simply insecure. A broody usually rises in the rankings once she's raised a brood.

 

[aart]

I took her out of there and placed her in a dog kennel with food and water, today is day two of this.

Turn the crate upside down and raise off the ground a bit.
Bungie the tray on top of the crate.

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