Sounds like she is eggbound.

Soak in warm water
try to massage vent area
try to get some oil up in there...yup

Sometimes the egg, if it is too big, has to be carefully broken and pulled out without cutting the insides of the hen.

Good luck
M

Thanks M, went to Velvet sparrows site for info,did all the stuff, including getting olive oil in all the right places. Left her alone in the box for awhile at it seemed to work, egglaid and Daffny is doing fine.It was an interesting experiance. My wife has raised these girls from 1 week old including the Roo. They come when called no matter where they are in the yard. They are one of the most spoiled flocks in Granby Ct.
Thanks for the help! On to Arizona
Rusty

I'm glad it worked out! :) You will have to watch that hen for a while, she will lay on the average every other day. My little egg bound hen, Ping, became egg bound recently. I had to pop it and remove it, the next egg was laid with no problems, but the one AFTER that got stuck again and I again had to pop and remove it. She has been fine since, but I still watch her and pick her up and grope her once in a while to check for eggbinding. :)

If your hen has a prolapsed vent at all, which can happen with egg binding due to how hard they are pushing, you can apply a bit of Preperation H to help shrink the swollen tissue, and you may have to take your finger and push the tissue back inside her. Have fun. *L*

Velvet ~:>

Now, my hen is acting strange. She is sitting on the nest most of the day and when she finally comes off the nest she blows up her feathers at me. Usually she runs after me and is very friendly I hope she is not getting sick and that this is her being broody.

What do ya'll think?

CI

CI - Sounds to me as though she is broody! What you describe is classic! Aren't they funny?

Do you have fertile eggs that you can give her?

Sounds like a broody to me, too! :) If you check out my chicken page in the 'hens & chicks' section, there is a description there of broodies, see if it matches your girl.

Don't step in any of those broody poops, you'll think a German Shepard has been in your yard--only it stinks more. *L*

Velvet ~:>

UGGGHHH I guess I can expect this pretty much every spring then huh?? I don't have any fertile eggs for her but we were planning on buying some live chicks at the feed N seed this weekend do you think she would take them under her wing so to speak? L

She is different then my game chicken. it was so mean you couldn't get near her nest any way. but Baby is always so friendly and now its like she has PMS. LOL

I haven't had any experience with putting strange chicks in with existing flock, but a friend of mine did and the older hens killed all the chicks. Be very careful about putting strange chicks in with your hens. Cheryl

My broody hen's reaction to strange chicks has been panic--as if they have suddenly been thrust into another hen's nest full of chicks, and any minute the REAL momma is going to return and give them a trouncing. I HAVE had luck with having a broody hen who hatched out three chicks accept 4 more chicks the next day that I hatched from the incubator. As each one hatched I placed it under her, while taking one of her dud eggs away. They are at this minute 1 week old and progressing normally, momma is great. :)

Here's what might work: let her brood some eggs for a few days, then one NIGHT while she is asleep and groggy, without turning on any lights (or as few as possible), gently and quietly slip the eggs out and the chicks under her. When done make things dark and quiet again so she'll settle down and sleep (babies too). But stay close and keep an ear out for screaming chicks if she isn't fooled, and have a brooder box standing by that night and well into the next day or so just in case. That may fool her into thinking she's hatched them. Needless to say, the chicks need to be very young, freshly hatched or just a few days old--no older, feathered out chicks.

Just today I had ANOTHER banty hen go broody--one of my little old lady cochin girls, who really is too old for that kind of nonsense. Now I have 8 broodies! *whimper*

Velvet ~:>

I also have two broodies.. A Buff Orpington and an Ameraucana.. They are the only two that go broody out of my twelve mature hens and will do it at least twice each summer.. Maybe I will try and find some fertile eggs..
I don't have room in the coop for many more chickens but around here you can always find someone to take them..
I just feel so sorry for their wasted efforts..Kit

my chicken won't hold her head up, she had it twisted around, and holding it down. she was laying down. now she is just standing there. we now have her in the basement, where it's a little warmer and away from the other chickens. any help you could give me will be nice.