Hello! I am looking for some advice. Having an issue with my 8 month BCM, concerning temperament and egg laying. I'm open to any advice, and happy to answer any questions that might help figure out what's going on with this girl, Her name is Trixie.
I have 5 hens. the first three are 1 year and lay very consistently (an EE, BO and SLW). Our younger two came to us in the fall at 9 weeks. One is a cream legbar she's Opal, and she started laying at 7 months. She is an egg MACHINE---lays almost 6 a week, very pretty little blue eggs. She just seemed to follow along to what her elders do and started laying like, no problem. Our last hen Trixie is a BCM and she is feisty, dare I say a little mean. She doesn't let anyone come near her, she pecks at all humans that come near her, let alone pick her up. As we wait patiently for her to lay, I start to wonder if she should even stay. After a bit of pecking to organize the group, they are integrated, and shes well in the group of 5 hens. But she is not nice at all to humans, and can be a little aggressive. So, anyway, last week, out of nowhere, she lays a beautiful brown egg on the concrete path to our neighbors house, completely out in the open. My husband found it, and it was cracked a little, but mostly intact. this egg came a little as a surprise because she has not exhibited any sort of indication that she's ready. She wont squat, hasn't been hanging out in the nesting box to "try" it out, as her predecessors have done. She does however make quite a lot of squawking. We think she may be laying eggs in mysterious places, but so far we haven't uncovered anything. We have a property which is 2 acres and there are countless places where she could be laying. But, for real, I want these eggs! We got a BCM for the nice brown eggs. I'm stumped. Not sure how to encourage her to want to be in the nest like the others. help and thanks!
I have 5 hens. the first three are 1 year and lay very consistently (an EE, BO and SLW). Our younger two came to us in the fall at 9 weeks. One is a cream legbar she's Opal, and she started laying at 7 months. She is an egg MACHINE---lays almost 6 a week, very pretty little blue eggs. She just seemed to follow along to what her elders do and started laying like, no problem. Our last hen Trixie is a BCM and she is feisty, dare I say a little mean. She doesn't let anyone come near her, she pecks at all humans that come near her, let alone pick her up. As we wait patiently for her to lay, I start to wonder if she should even stay. After a bit of pecking to organize the group, they are integrated, and shes well in the group of 5 hens. But she is not nice at all to humans, and can be a little aggressive. So, anyway, last week, out of nowhere, she lays a beautiful brown egg on the concrete path to our neighbors house, completely out in the open. My husband found it, and it was cracked a little, but mostly intact. this egg came a little as a surprise because she has not exhibited any sort of indication that she's ready. She wont squat, hasn't been hanging out in the nesting box to "try" it out, as her predecessors have done. She does however make quite a lot of squawking. We think she may be laying eggs in mysterious places, but so far we haven't uncovered anything. We have a property which is 2 acres and there are countless places where she could be laying. But, for real, I want these eggs! We got a BCM for the nice brown eggs. I'm stumped. Not sure how to encourage her to want to be in the nest like the others. help and thanks!
