What should I do if my chicken stubbornly remains on her nest?

Do you have a hen that has not left her nest for a long time? Then your hen is most probably broody. Do not worry, this is completely normal. Do you have a rooster and would you want to raise some chicks, then it is good that your hens get broody. This way, chicks can develop in fertilised eggs. Do you want your hen to just continue laying normal eggs? Then you should stop your chicken being broody.

What are the symptoms of broodiness?

A broody hen can be recognised by the following characteristics:

• Your hen no longer leaves her nest
• Your hen has stopped laying eggs
• In the beginning your hen has a bright red head and comb, later they fade.
• Your hen's lower breast goes bald
• Your hen clucks
• Your chicken takes a threatening position towards other hens or towards you      when you want to collect eggs. 

From what age or how often a hen becomes broody depends mainly on the breed of chicken. Real laying breeds are much less likely to become broody. They will also be a little older when they become broody for the first time. Hens often become broody in the spring, when the days begin to lengthen again.

Do you want to counteract broodiness? 

The best way to counteract broodiness is by collecting the fresh eggs daily. This way, the nest is empty most of the time, so the chicken is less likely to become broody. 
Does your chicken still get broody? Keep the hen separate for two to three days in a small coop with little litter. The hen will not develop any nesting feeling here. After the third day, your hen will normally leave its empty nest.