ChickieChickAv
In the Brooder
Broody hens will lose weight while broody. If she's laying than she's not broody, she could be starting to go broody. Most sick hens won't lay eggs or if they do they won't be right, so if she's laying nice eggs they are probably fine. Certainly having a new person taking care of them can stress them out. Something might have caused a ruckus last night that caused her to get off the nest, so I would see if it's a problem again tonight.
I haven't seen her green eggs the past day or two but she's been sitting on the other hens eggs! I let my girls out of the run today to roam the grassy backyard and enjoy the sun with me and little Nugget didn't come out of the laying box. It sound as if she's broody by what I'm hearing. She didn't get out last night, and she did come out for a little bit this morning though not very long.. Just to eat and drink and she ran around for a minute or two and then went back in the nest. I tried to get her up and to look under her but she just puffs up at watches me intently. I don't want to stress her out too much, she's already a nervous bird from being at the bottom of the pecking order I think.. Since I am new to this, can you explain to me what it means exactly to go broody (I only have hens, no Roos so we have no hatching eggs) and why haven't I seen any of my other hens behave this way? I do believe Nugget is the youngest of them all, perhaps this is her first summer season. All the hens took to me very quickly when we moved here and took over the flock so I have gotten to know each of them pretty well