my chicken is sulking

[crisgal]

my chicken used to have free run of the whole garden and I have now put her in a smaller, enclosed area. She has a lovely coop with somewhere to roost and a nesting box. She has access to concrete, grass, soil and evena tree to shelter under.
But she is furious!
Every time i go near her she puffs up and almost spits at me!
She goes in her nesting box and just sits there all day and night (she only used to go in at sunset), and won't come out to feed. If I don't pick her up and put her in front of her dish, she just wouldn't eat.
She's also stopped laying.
I can't have her running around the garden anymore, which is obviously what she wants, but she really does have a nice place now.
I don't know what to do!

[owdhamer]

Sounds like she is ready for the oven.

[starone]

She sounds broody to me. I reckon she needs the attentions of a rooster so should be in a farmyard with other hens. However, as she isn't laying this may not be the solution. After all, if she is broody she needs eggs to sit on. From what I remember when my mother used to keep hens she will probably get over it in a couple of weeks when she realises that there is no way she can produce fertilised eggs.

[Barmaid]

I thought broody hens would sit on the eggs - this sulky witch just ain't laying!!!

I still think treats is the way forwards. Mine hadn'tt eaten properly since I got them, so I solved that by making a warm mash out of their pellets and giving them some meal worms. Happy chooks now!

[wildwood]

Any place within a reasonable distance from you where they have mixed chooks? Pop in and ask if they'll sell you 3 or 4 fertile eggs cause you got a broody hen.

[crisgal]

we got her some mealworms but she still wouldn't come out. her comb is very dull now.

[wildwood]

Pick her up and feel the breast/stomach. If this feels warm and there are feathers missing she is broody for sure. Birds pluck out some breast feathers and grow extra blood vessels so the 'broodpatch' that touches the eggs is warmer than normal.

[moonraker558]

Leave a packet of stuffing where she can see it that will soon have her running around like a headless chicken. Or if it starts losing too much weight eat it while it still has some meat on it.

[lady-janine]

can you get another chlucker to share her home with. she might attack at first so put some sort of barrier between them but you might manage to persuade her out but she does sound broody. my grandad used to get china eggs but maybe you could use wooden ones (they are probably easier to get hold of).
we came back from visitng my mum to find a banty + 8 eggs nesting in a rather overgrown flower trough still filled with bulbs. not sure what to do about it as we haven't been able to fin who she belongs to. don't even know if the eggs are fertilised and if they are what rights do we have over the chicks. i am delighted she has adopted us. i've wanted cluckies for ages but OH always said no. now she is there he puts out clean water and bird seed for her.

[crisgal]

thanks for the advice guys. It's all appreciated (apart from the ridiculous comments about eating her ). If i put a fake egg in there, surely that would give her a reason to stay in?

[ladybirder]

Get her some company crisgal, she shouldn't be on her own. Put the newcomer in after dark. If you don't hurry up and do something I fear it will be too late.