Need help with one of my hens

[dianacirce]

OK I am having a chicken dilemma, I think. Last night I discovered my chickens have mites, I went to check on them before I went to bed last night and the bantam was chirpy when I touched her rear, so I looked to make sure she wasn't egg bound, and saw she was missing feathers on her rear and saw a couple mites, so I treated them all and the coop with DE. I've been checking on them all day, and they have been acting fine, eating well, acting normal, until this evening after I got off work. The bantam is sitting in a nesting box and gets very upset when I try to touch her. She doesn't look sickly, bright eyes, good coloring. Is it possible she is laying? Or would it take her that long to lay an egg? I don't know what time she went into the box, but it was 7:30 when I saw her in there and now its been 2 hours. Anyone have any advise or can give me an idea of what to check for or look at her for? I would greatly appreciate the help!

BTW, the bantam has not laid since I got her. I was told she was laying, but the people who had her before I did passed her around A LOT, she was moved 6 times before I finally gave her a stable home.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would guess that the little bantam is broody. Most of my bantams go broody all the time. They stay in nest boxes and get upset if you try to disturb them or put them out. Sometimes they growl. When you pick them up and put them outside they will cluck at you and run back to the nest box. You can either let her set on a clutch of eggs, or try to break her by putting her into a cage without a nest box for 4-5 days. Sometimes it is best to put them on a wire floor for air circulation to cool them off. Some breeds are more broody than others--bantams all seem to have the broody gene!

 

[dianacirce]

A friend of mine finally called me back, and said the same thing! Being a first time chicken owner, I am a tad bit paranoid. She just told me to reach in and get the eggs. She had also told me, a while back, to put a couple fake eggs or gold balls in the nesting box for the chickens so they get the idea? I don't know if it works or not, but the rest of my chickens push them out of the way, this little lady is laying on them

 

[Eggcessive]

Broodies will sit on anything. Mine sit on the golf balls I leave there in the nest boxes to show the girls where to lay.

 

[dianacirce]

Well, problem solved. I removed the golf balls from the nest and she got out and went about her business and quit screaming at me